San Francisco
Former Disney executive Kevin Mayer will become the head of TikTok and chief operating officer of the popular video app’s parent company, the group announced Monday.
Mayer’s surprise jump from one of the entertainment industry’s most venerable companies is another victory for buzzy upstart TikTok, which has seen a surge in popularity among people locked down during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayer headed Disney’s direct-to-consumer offerings, where he oversaw the successful rollout of Disney+ television streaming service.
His new realm will include TikTok and global development at the app’s parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, according to the business.
He will report directly to ByteDance founder and chief executive Yiming Zhang. “Kevin’s wealth of experience building successful global businesses makes him an outstanding fit for our mission of inspiring creativity for users globally,” Zhang said in a release.—AP