Walt Disney’s corporate logo is seen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on December 1, 2023.
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Aaron LaBerge, the chief technology officer of Disney Entertainment and ESPN, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo.
LaBerge is taking a position as CTO of PENN Entertainment, which operates ESPN Bet, the sports media company’s licensed online sports betting operation. As a top executive in the company’s interactive division, he will be responsible for advancing the technology strategy. LaBerge is leaving the company for personal reasons related to his family and will remain with Disney through June, the memo said.
LaBerge was a key figure in the development of Disney’s streaming services and, more recently, the integration of advertising into Disney+. He also led the effort to combine Hulu and Disney+ into a streaming app that launched last month.
At ESPN, LaBerge was a central figure behind the company’s streaming services, including ESPN+, the upcoming sports streaming application co-owned by Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox, and ESPN’s flagship streaming service launching in 2025.
His departure adds to the growing list of veteran Disney executives who have left the company in recent years. They include former CEO Bob Chapek, former streaming chief Kevin Mayer, former finance chief Christine McCarthy, former Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn, former Disney chief adviser Alan Braverman, former communications chief Zenia Mucha and former president of Walt Disney Pictures, Sean Bailey.
“We want to thank Aaron for the contributions he has made and the leadership he has provided during his 20 years at Disney,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, in an internal memo to employees. “It is a bright spot that he will continue to help Disney and ESPN win as he takes on a role at PENN Entertainment – where he will be an important partner in the continued growth and success of ESPN BET (and the rest of their Interactive). .” Business).”
According to his bio, LaBerge was responsible for “setting the vision and strategic leadership for how the company leverages technology to enable storytelling and innovation, drive its business, and create amazing consumer experiences with entertainment and sports content.”
A search for LaBerge’s replacement is already underway, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because the transition plan is confidential. Chris Lawson, currently Disney’s executive vice president of content operations and one of LaBerge’s direct reports, will take over LaBerge’s job on an interim basis following his departure.
LaBerge first joined Disney in the late 1990s when the company acquired Starwave, a company founded by Paul Allen that worked with ESPN before Disney fully acquired it in 1998.
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2024-04-22 18:03:15
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