Anne Sweeney Joins Netflix Board

LOS GATOS: Anne Sweeney, formerly co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney-ABC Television at the Walt Disney Co., has been appointed to the board of directors at Netflix.

Brad Smith, the executive VP and general counsel, legal and corporate Affairs at Microsoft Corp., has also joined the Netflix board.

“We look forward to benefiting from Brad and Anne’s perspective as we continue to build our global internet TV network,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and chief executive.

Sweeney has more than three decades of experience in the international entertainment business, including senior roles at the Walt Disney Co., 21st Century Fox and Viacom. In January, she stepped down from a role in which she had oversight for Disney’s cable, broadcast and satellite properties around the world. Previously, she helped establish and served as chairman and CEO of the FX Networks. Earlier in her career, she spent more than 12 years at Viacom’s Nickelodeon network.

Smith, who has served as Microsoft'’s general counsel since 2002, has amassed broad global technology and public policy experience since joining the company in 1993. He spent three years leading the company’s legal and corporate affairs team in Europe and five years as deputy general counsel responsible for such teams outside the U.S.