Disney has announced that it has hired Karl Kolmes to become the new SVP, Direct to Consumer & General Manager, Disney+ in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Karl has previously worked at Sky for the last decade at Sky in a variety of senior roles, leading large teams across functions including Marketing, Operations, Finance, Commercial and Data, and will bring a great breadth and depth of relevant experience to this role. During the last 10 years at Sky, Karl has served as Chief Operating Officer for Europe, Chief Consumer Revenue Officer for the UK, as well as Chief Financial Officer for the UK and Ireland and Group Chief Data Officer.

He will be stepping into the role in January 2025 and will assume responsibility for the Disney+ business across EMEA, leading the regional team and will be based in London. He will report to both Jan Koeppen, President, The Walt Disney Company EMEA and Joe Earley, President, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment.

Jan Koeppen, President, The Walt Disney Company EMEA said in a statement:

“Karl Holmes will join Disney+ in EMEA at a time when our DTC business goes from strength to strength across our region. With its award-winning shows and movies, Disney+ has something for everyone. Karl has a proven track record for building long-term success in consumer-facing businesses and I know under his leadership the team will flourish.”

Karl Holmes added:

“For years I’ve admired Disney’s unique position as a business. As a long-time fan of the brand, I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the company to lead direct-to-consumer in EMEA, after a fantastic decade at Sky. I look forward to working with Jan, Joe and their brilliant teams as we head into the fifth year of Disney+ and bring Disney’s incredible storytelling to even more people.”

Roger’s Take: This looks like an excellent hire for EMEA and especially for the UK and European market, since he has more knowledge of how television has worked in the region for years.

What do you think of this hiring? Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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