Walt Disney’s company logo appears on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on December 1, 2023.
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Aaron LaBarge, chief technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo.
Mr. LaBerge will serve as CTO. pen entertainmentoperates ESPN Bet, an online sportsbook licensed by sports media companies. He will be responsible for driving technology strategy as head of the company’s interactive division. LaBarge is leaving for personal reasons related to his family and will remain at Disney until June, according to the memo.
Mr. LaBerge has been a key figure in the development of Disney’s streaming services and, most recently, the integration of advertising into Disney+. He also led efforts to integrate Hulu and his Disney+ within his One Streaming application, which debuted last month.
At ESPN, LaBarge is a key figure in 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 list of veteran Disney executives who have left the company in recent years. They include former CEO Bob Chapek, former head of streaming Kevin Mayer, former finance chief Christine McCarthy, former Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn, and former Disney general counsel Alan Braver. They include Mann, former head of communications Xenia Mucha and former Walt Disney president. Photo, Sean Bailey.
“We would like to thank Aaron for his 20 years of service and leadership at Disney,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Dana Walden and Alan Bergman said in an internal memo to employees. Ta. “It’s a ray of hope that he will continue to contribute to Disney and ESPN’s wins as he transitions into his role at PENN Entertainment, where he will continue to contribute to the continued growth of ESPN BET (and the rest of its interactive) You will be an important partner in your success’ work). “
According to his bio, Mr. LaBarge is “a visionary and visionary of how we use technology to enable storytelling and innovation, drive business, and create great consumer experiences with entertainment and sports content.” Responsible for “helping set up strategic leadership.”
The search for Mr. Laberge’s replacement has already begun, said a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the transition plan is private. Chris Lawson, currently Disney’s executive vice president of content operations and one of LaBerge’s direct reports, will take over LaBerge’s duties on an interim basis following LaBerge’s retirement.
Mr. LaBarge first joined Disney in the late 1990s as part of the acquisition of Starwave, a company founded by Paul Allen. Starwave had a partnership with ESPN before Disney acquired it outright in 1998.
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