Disney Taps YouTube’s Adam Smith for Tech Role

Longtime Google and YouTube veteran Adam Smith has been appointed chief product and technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN.

Smith will be overseeing a global product and technology group that spans Disney’s entertainment and sports media businesses. He will be responsible for driving technology strategy, development, deployment and continued innovation across the company’s streaming platforms and networks, portfolio of consumer digital touchpoints, proprietary advertising technology, emerging technologies and more. He will lead a global team of technologists, including engineers, product managers and designers, data scientists and technical operations teams.

Smith joins Disney starting September 3 and will jointly report to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

Smith joins Disney from YouTube, where he most recently served as VP of product management, leading music and premium as well as subscriptions and commerce since 2016. During more than 20 years at Google and YouTube, Smith held executive roles across numerous divisions throughout significant growth trajectories of both companies.

Bergman, Walden and Pitaro said in a joint statement: “We could not be more thrilled to have Adam join the Disney team in this pivotal role. We’ve been aggressive in advancing our technological capabilities to better support our world-class media, streaming and advertising businesses, and Adam brings a bold, consumer-focused vision for the future and a proven ability to effectively lead global teams in implementing ambitious, scalable and flexible products and technology that will continue to elevate storytelling as the center of the Disney experience.”

“Disney has built and nurtured an unparalleled portfolio of brands bringing joy and delight to fans of all ages, thanks to a culture of creativity that embraces innovation,” said Smith. “I believe Disney is uniquely positioned to thrive in the next evolution of media and has made significant progress in a very short time while keeping storytelling front and center. I look forward to working closely with Alan, Dana and Jimmy and their top-notch teams and am excited to bring my expertise in utilizing technology to build compelling consumer experiences that will drive engagement and discovery among fans, families and friends.”