Crunchyroll Appoints Head of Content Strategy & Business Development

Crunchyroll has added to its executive leadership team with the hiring of Julian Lai-Hung as the head of content strategy and business development, focused on Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

Lai-Hung, who will be based in Tokyo, will focus on building out Crunchyroll’s content strategy, driving the originals initiative and identifying new business opportunities with existing and new partners. Previously, he helped launch Netflix in Japan and oversaw the global anime category as director of content and anime in the region. Lai-Hung also served as an executive producer and dealmaker across a number of titles on the platform, including Terrace House Aloha State, Million Yen Women, Godzilla: Monster Planet, Kuromukuro and Blazing Transfer Students. At Warner Bros., he led a team as the VP of international digital distribution and global sales.

Lai-Hung’s appointment is the latest in a string of senior hires at Crunchyroll. Earlier in the year, the company hired Alden Budill as head of global partnerships and content strategy, Terry Li as head of 360 and general manager of Crunchyroll Games and John Easum, who took on the newly created role of head of Crunchyroll EMEA.

Budill said: “We unveiled Crunchyroll Originals earlier this year as a complement to our robust anime library, with the goal of exciting our existing fans while inviting the anime-curious into our vibrant community. Given Julian’s deep expertise and passion for the medium, he’s the perfect addition to our team to progress our efforts to identify new partnerships and creative opportunities.”

Lai-Hung added: “I have a deep respect for Anime creators and I am thrilled to be joining the biggest anime brand on the planet. I can’t wait to work with our partners in Japan to keep delighting fans across the globe.”