Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand as its first-ever chief technology officer as the company expands its focus on technology as a key growth driver.
Anand, who will also serve as the company's senior executive vice president, will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, product, and engineering across Disney’s segment technology teams.
"I’ve admired Disney my entire life for how it blends unforgettable storytelling with the latest technology to constantly push the boundaries of what entertainment can be," said Anand.
Karandeep Anand will serve as Disney's chief technology officer and senior executive vice presidentDisney
"I’m honored to join a team with such extraordinary creative talent, and I look forward to building on the company’s impressive technology capabilities to help Disney connect fans worldwide with its beloved stories and characters in new and innovative ways."
Anand, who most recently served as CEO of generative AI chatbot service Character.AI, will report to Disney's CEO Josh D'Amaro.
"Karandeep brings a rare mix of experience across infrastructure, consumer technology and AI, and will be a vital addition to Disney’s senior leadership team as we further our three priorities: great storytelling as our North Star, technology in service of creativity, and operating as One Disney," said D’Amaro.
"He is an expert builder and strategist, technical and product-minded, with sharp instincts for what fans actually want," D'Amaro added.
Disney expands tech push
"He also has real enthusiasm and respect for Disney, a clear sense of where technology and creativity meet, and shares our belief that technology creates the most value when it helps people do their best work.”
Before working at Character.AI, Anand was president and chief product officer of financial technology company Brex. He also served in leadership roles at Meta's Facebook and Microsoft.
Alongside Anand’s appointment, several members of Character.AI’s technical team are expected to join Disney.
His appointment also comes as Walt Disney World prepares to beta test a new AI-powered booking experience designed to help guests plan their Disney vacations.
