Disney promotes DMED & Fox exec to lead international content curation

Kristen Finney

Disney has promoted DMED (Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution) exec Kristen Finney to the newly created role of EVP of content curation for the media giant’s international content and operations (IC&O) group.

Reporting to IC&O chairman Rebecca Campbell, who took up the role in January, Finney will manage international content strategy across EMEA, Lat Am, Asia Pacific and India for both Disney+, the Star brand, and linear channels outside of the US. Working closely with regional content teams, Finney will oversee international content acquisition information, cross-regional licensing opportunities, content slates and pipelines.

The IC&O group was created by Disney at the start of this year to fuel the growth of local and regional content for its streaming services, Disney+, Hulu and Star, with Campbell, who took over as Disney’s head of direct-to-consumer and international following Kevin Mayer’s exit in 2020, expanding her remit to oversee the new content hub.

At the time, Disney said the IC&O group would be a fourth content-creation engine for the company, alongside the Studios Content, General Entertainment Content and Sports Content groups.

Distribution experience

Finney most recently served as EVP of content distribution strategy and development for DMED, where she was responsible for overseeing key support functions for global content sales and Disney’s streaming services. Prior to that she was was responsible for overseeing the content licensing business in EMEA as EVP at 20th Century Fox Television Distribution.

In that role, Finney led an international team of sales executives, distributing TV and film titles from 20th Century Fox Film, 20th Century Fox Television, Fox 21 Television Studios, FX Productions, Fox 2000, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox Animation and other 21st Century Fox companies.

Prior to that, Finney was SVP of worldwide pay-TV and SVOD, upped from VP in 2014, where she was focused on expanding the US studio’s global SVOD business, while overseeing pay-TV and SVOD deals in the UK, Germany, Italy, Asia, India and Australia and across Central and Eastern Europe.

“Kristen has a proven track record of delivering successful content strategies. This expertise, combined with her skillful ability to build and lead innovative teams, makes her the perfect candidate for this important new role,” said Campbell in a statement. “Her extensive and diverse experience will make her a vital part of our IC&O leadership team.”

“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,” commented Finney.