Disney+ names Alisa Bowen as new President

The Walt Disney Company has named Alisa Bowen as the new president of Disney+. The promotion comes when Disney is all set to launch its new ad-supported Disney+ tier later this year in the US. 

Bowen previously served as the EVP (Executive Vice President ) of the global operation for Disney's streaming platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ and now she will be taking this role, effective immediately.

Disney+ has already expanded to 154 markets worldwide with over 152.1 million subscriptions. She will continue to report directly to Michael Paull, President of Disney's direct-to-consumer division.  

Disney named a president for Disney+ after a longish search:

Alisa Bowen, prev EVP global business operations, Disney Streaming. Tech posts at Disney and News Corp. before that.

Job one: Help drive next phase of Disney+ growth, including ad tier rollout @Alisa_redux pic.twitter.com/x2Hnlpagu9

— Brooks Barnes (@brooksbarnesNYT) September 29, 2022

An Australian now runs @DisneyPlus
Alisa Bowen is a brilliant exec, knows how to solve problems and get things done. https://t.co/chrBoAxAw2

— Ryan Northover (@RyanNorthover) September 30, 2022

What is Disney's new ad tier? It is a new initiative by Disney+ announced in August to integrate a new, cheaper, ad-supported tier, in the US, which has garnered a mixed response from Disney fans. 

The company revealed its new pricing structure that incorporates this tier as part of an effort to make its streaming business profitable. This will take effect on December 8, 2022, in the US. India's Disney+Hotstar already has a free, ad-supported tier, for some selected content. 

What will be Bowen's role?

• Apart from handling the new ad tier, Bowen will work closely with leaders across Disney to "drive continued focus on innovation". 
• She will also head Disney's new initiative for multichannel promotional support for Disney+ and its content slate. 
• Regional leaders for Disney+ in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America will report jointly to Bowen. 

Variety reports that Michael Paull, while promoting her said, "Alisa has been an indispensable member of our leadership team since the inception of Disney+." 
Bowen, whilst accepting her promotion also expressed her gratitude and love of Disney."

Alisa Bowen's story: 

• Bowen started off her professional career as a business analyst in 2001 at Thomson Reuters. In the two decades of her professional career, she has taken up various leadership roles at several media organisations. 
• She held the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at News Corp Australia before joining Disney, where she was in charge of the company's digital transformation plan. 
• She joined Disney in 2017 as SVP, digital media, and CTO of the company's international operations where she led a transformation of Disney's channel broadcast technology, content operations and digital publishing across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. 
• She also holds an MBA from London Business School and a bachelor's degree in public relations and journalism from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

Under the leadership of its new President, it will be interesting to see what other changes the streaming service will undergo.