Kevin Mayer Appointed as COO of ByteDance

As COO, Kevin Mayer has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of ByteDance, effective June 1. He will report directly to Yiming Zhang, the Founder and CEO of ByteDance. With over 25 years of experience, Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge, having previously served as Disney's Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer & International. In his new role, Kevin will be responsible for driving the global development of ByteDance and overseeing various corporate functions such as corporate development, sales, marketing, public affairs, security, moderation, and legal. Additionally, he will lead music, gaming, Helo, and emerging businesses, as well as serve as the CEO of TikTok.

Yiming Zhang expressed his confidence in Kevin's ability to inspire creativity globally and take ByteDance's portfolio of products to the next level. Kevin's extensive experience in the entertainment industry, particularly in successfully launching Disney+, makes him well-suited for this role. Yiming looks forward to closely collaborating with Kevin on the global development of ByteDance.

Prior to joining ByteDance, Kevin had a successful career at Disney, where he served as Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer & International. He played a crucial role in the development and successful rollout of Disney+, as well as overseeing other direct-to-consumer businesses such as Hulu, ESPN+, and Hotstar. Kevin also led Disney's international operations, global ad sales, and global content sales.

Kevin expressed his excitement to join the talented team at ByteDance and contribute to the company's expansion across the world. He acknowledged the achievements made during his time at Disney and expressed gratitude to Bob Iger for his visionary leadership and mentorship. Kevin also commended Bob Chapek, whom he greatly admires. He is humbled by the trust placed in him by Yiming and the Board as they work towards scaling ByteDance's growth.

As part of the transition, Alex Zhu, the current President of TikTok, will become the VP of Product & Strategy at ByteDance, focusing on strategy and product design. Kelly Zhang and Lidong Zhang will continue to lead the China business as CEO and Chairman of ByteDance China, respectively, reporting to Yiming Zhang.

TikTok's national and regional leaders will retain their roles and responsibilities, reporting to Kevin as he takes charge of the global business. This commitment to local markets ensures the continued success of TikTok.