The Walt Disney Company has announced the appointment of former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand as its Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, effective October 2. In this newly created role, Anand will report directly to Disney executive leadership and oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, product, and engineering. Additionally, he will collaborate with technical teams across all business sectors to modernize how the company builds and delivers technology, with several members of Character.AI’s technical team expected to transition alongside him.
Background and Professional Experience:
Disney leadership highlighted Anand’s extensive background spanning infrastructure, consumer technology, and artificial intelligence, noting that the appointment aligns with the company’s focus on blending storytelling with advanced technology. Prior to his leadership at Character.AI where he steered rapid growth and emphasized user trust and safety Anand served as President and Chief Product Officer at fintech company Brex. His career also features a long tenure at Meta as Vice President of Ads & Business Products, alongside a 15-year career at Microsoft holding senior product and engineering positions, during which he contributed to building the Azure platform. He holds a degree in Computer Science from the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.
Vision for the Future:
Expressing admiration for Disney’s unique fusion of storytelling and technology, Anand stated his intention to collaborate closely with creative teams. He aims to expand upon existing technological capabilities to help connect global fans with Disney’s stories and characters through innovative digital avenues.
