Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorDisney CEO Bob Chapek installed veteran exec Mike White into a new role coordinating the Mouse House’s “metaverse” efforts going forward.White, who has worked at Disney for a decade, is assuming the new role of senior VP of next generation storytelling and consumer experiences at the Walt Disney Co., responsible for connecting the dots among the company’s initiatives that blend “physical and digital worlds,” Chapek wrote in a memo to staff, obtained by Variety.
White adds the metaverse role that to his existing duties leading consumer experiences and platforms in the Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) division, overseeing the technology strategy, engineering and product teams charged developing digital experiences across brands including ABC, ABC News, Disney, ESPN, FX, Marvel, National Geographic and Star Wars.
The “so-called metaverse” is “the next great storytelling frontier and the perfect place to pursue our strategic pillars of Storytelling Excellence, Innovation, and Audience Focus,” Chapek wrote in the memo. “Teams across the company are exploring this new canvas, and I have been blown away by what I’ve seen.”White, in his expanded role, will “help connect these in-flight efforts — as well as the work underway to create a more unified Disney experience for consumers,” according to Chapek.
White will report to both Kareem Daniel and Josh D’Amaro.“For nearly 100 years, our company has defined and redefined entertainment by leveraging technology to bring stories to life in deeper, more impactful ways,” Chapek wrote. “Today, we have an opportunity to connect those universes and create an entirely new paradigm for how audiences experience and engage with our stories.”On.
Read more on variety.com