Disney $DIS is reorganizing its streaming commerce and data teams following the departure of a senior executive, according to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider.
April 30 marks Arora's final day at Disney, capping nearly five years with the company in his role as SVP of product management and engineering. His portfolio at Disney encompassed streaming's commerce, growth, and account management functions. His resume prior to Disney includes stints at Netflix $NFLX, the image-sharing platform Imgur, and Amazon $AMZN's Audible.
Adam Smith, who leads Disney's product and technology operations, announced the overhaul of the Commerce, Data, and Identity team in a memo sent to Disney and ESPN product and tech employees, framing it as an effort to weave that work "more tightly" into the broader organization.
Erin Teague will take on Georgina Hill, Chuck Mortimer, and Ana Pavlovic as direct reports as the Commerce & Identity Product group folds into the product management team. Smith described the shift as part of a push to position direct-to-consumer streaming as "the digital centerpiece of Disney's relationship with fans."
The Data Product & Engineering group will move under ads platform EVP Tony Donohoe. According to Smith, placing the data group alongside Disney's ad and monetization operations is a natural fit, given that the unit's Atlas initiative and related work are already yielding "a sharper, data-driven view" of how the company connects with its audience. Donohoe's expanded team will include Alek Zdziarski, who leads Data Engineering, and Romit Mehta, who is serving in an interim capacity over Data Product. Smith noted that plans for absorbing the CDI Alliance into other existing alliances are still being finalized, with further information to be shared once those details are settled.
The reorganization comes as Disney is cutting as many as 1,000 jobs in the first notable wave of workforce reductions under new CEO Josh D'Amaro, who officially took over on March 18. A large share of those cuts are expected to fall on Disney's marketing department, according to Deadline and Variety. Disney has also been working with consultants from Bain & Co. to guide its cost-cutting strategy, according to The Wall Street Journal.
D'Amaro, whose Disney tenure stretches back to 1998, previously ran the company's parks, cruises, consumer products, and Imagineering division. According to The Wall Street Journal, he has yet to announce a broader strategic blueprint, though people familiar with his thinking say he is focused on reducing internal silos so business units can collaborate more quickly. Separately, The Journal reported that Disney has been integrating the workforces behind Disney+ and Hulu as it works to combine the two streaming services into a single platform.