Disney has promoted Kristen Finney as part of a global strategy to improve content creation for Disney+ in international markets.
Finney is to take on the newly created role of Executive VP of Content Creation. Prior to the reassignment, Finney was the executive VP for content distribution strategy and development within Disney’s direct-to-consumer division on the platform distribution team.
Finney will now report to Rebecca Campbell, the chair of Disney’s international content and operations group.
“Kristen has a proven track record of delivering successful content strategies,” said Campbell. “This expertise, combined with her skillful ability to build and lead innovative teams, makes her the perfect candidate for this important new role.”
In this new position, Finney is now assigned to lead content strategy across all of Disney’s four international markets, those being EMEA, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and India. She and her team will also be charged with evaluating content acquisition needs for subsidiaries Disney+, Star, Star+, and Hotstar.
“The regional teams in IC&O are building a truly impressive slate of engaging and entertaining content, and I look forward to driving strategic opportunities as we aggressively expand these local offerings around the globe,” Finney said Wednesday.
The promotion is part of Disney’s restructuring of its international content business. The company has now merged a number of subsidiaries into a single division, led by Campbell, who reports directly to Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
Disney has been working hard at increasing its overall number of subscribers through aggressive marketing and content acquisition in these international markets.
The company set a goal of signing up 230 million Disney+ subscribers globally by 2024. That strategy has hit a road bump recently when Disney+ lost its bid to retain the streaming rights to cricket in India; a sport that draws tens of millions of viewers in that country for every match.