Disney Hires Veteran Technology Executive Karandeep Anand As Its First Chief Technology Officer: Who Is He? | Today’s news
The Walt Disney Company has named chief technology officer Karandeep Anand as its first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO), bringing the Microsoft, Meta, Brex and generative artificial intelligence veteran into one of the company’s newly created leadership roles.
Disney has found its first ever CTO in Karandeep Anand
Anand will join Disney as Senior Executive Vice President and CTO on October 2, 2026 and will report directly to Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro. His appointment was announced by the company on September 18.
The role will cover a broad portion of Disney’s technology operations. Anand will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, product development and engineering, and will collaborate with technology teams across the company’s various businesses.
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Disney said the appointment is part of its broader effort to strengthen technology across the company and improve how it serves fans.
Who is Karandeep Anand?
Anand is a technology executive with over twenty years of experience in cloud computing, social media, fintech and artificial intelligence.
Before joining Disney, Anand served as CEO of Character AI, the company’s generative AI chatbot. He took over as CEO in June 2025 after previously serving as an advisor to the board of directors. During his tenure at the company, he led its growth as it expanded its consumer AI and interactive storytelling products.
Character AI grew rapidly under Anand while also facing questions about the safety and use of AI chatbots. During his tenure, the company introduced changes to its products and security measures, including restricting open chatbots to users under 18.
Prior to Character AI, Anand was president and chief product officer at financial technology company Brex.
Prior to that, he spent several years at Meta, where he held a number of senior positions at Facebook. His most recent role was Vice President of Ads and Business Products, which gave him experience developing products used on one of the largest social media platforms in the world.
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His technology career began at Microsoft, where he spent 15 years in senior product and engineering roles. He was part of the team involved in building Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, giving him a background in large-scale infrastructure and enterprise technologies.
Anand studied computer science at the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.
Why his Disney appointment is notable
Anand’s move to Disney comes as the entertainment company puts greater emphasis on technology, data and artificial intelligence.
Disney has said its technology strategy is intended to support its creative business rather than replace the company’s focus on storytelling. D’Amaro described Anand as having experience in infrastructure, consumer technology and artificial intelligence, while Anand said he sees an opportunity to combine technology and creativity at Disney.
Several members of Anand’s technical team at Character AI are also expected to join Disney as part of the transition. This could provide the company with additional expertise in consumer AI and digital products as it develops its broader technology strategy.
There is also an unusual connection between Anand’s former company and his new employer.
In September 2025, Disney sent Character AI a cease and desist letter for alleged unauthorized use of Disney-owned characters on the platform. Character.AI subsequently removed the Disney characters from its services after receiving the letter.
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The dispute did not prevent Anand from later moving to Disney.
His appointment now puts an executive with direct experience building AI products for consumers at the center of Disney’s technology operations, as the company continues to explore how artificial intelligence can be used alongside its existing entertainment businesses.
