26 September 2026: The Walt Disney Company has appointed Karandeep Anand as its first-ever Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective October 2, 2026. Reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro, he takes on a newly created executive mandate established to unify and strengthen technology capabilities across the global entertainment organization.

In this inaugural capacity, Karandeep will oversee enterprise technology and infrastructure, data platforms, product development, and engineering operations. His responsibilities also encompass driving cross-unit technology collaboration to enhance how digital products, services, and consumer experiences are delivered across Disney’s business segments.

He brings more than two decades of experience across cloud computing, social media, financial technology, and digital platforms. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Character.AI, stepping into the role in June 2025 after serving as a board adviser. Prior to that, he held the position of President and Chief Product Officer at financial technology company Brex. Earlier in his career, Karandeep spent several years in senior leadership at Meta, culminating in his role as Vice President, Ads & Business Products, following a 15-year tenure in product and engineering leadership at Microsoft, where he was involved in the development of the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. He holds a degree in Computer Science from the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad.

Reflecting on his transition, Karandeep shared on LinkedIn: “I’ve admired Disney for my entire life. From movies to the parks to experiences, Disney continually blends unforgettable storytelling with the latest technology to constantly push the boundaries of what entertainment can be. 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.”

By consolidating enterprise engineering, data systems, and platform development under a single leadership structure, his role will center on scaling digital capabilities, modernizing core infrastructure, and supporting The Walt Disney Company’s long-term strategic and creative objectives.

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