Karl Holmes, Sky's chief financial officer, will manage Disney+ in EMEA.
Holmes replaces Luke Bradley-Jones, who left to become chairman of The Economist earlier this year.
Reporting to Jan Cobben and Joe Early, he will be responsible for the Disney+ business across EMEA, leading the London-based regional team that has commissioned the likes of Competitors, unusual and Good mothers.
Holmes has spent the past decade at Sky in a variety of senior roles, leading teams across functions including marketing, operations, finance, trading and data. During the last 10 years at Sky, he served as Chief Operating Officer for Europe, Chief Consumer Revenue Officer for the UK, as well as UK & Ireland CFO and Group Chief Data Officer.
“Karl Holmes will join Disney+ in EMEA at a time when our DTC business is going from strength to strength across our region,” Cobain said. “Karl has a proven track record of building long-term success in consumer-facing businesses, and I I know the team will thrive under his leadership.
Holmes added: “For many years I have admired Disney's unique positioning as a brand. As a long-standing fan of the brand, I couldn't be more excited to be joining the company to lead its direct-to-consumer marketing service in EMEA, after a fantastic decade working at Sky.” “
Disney revealed that Bradley Jones was joining The Economist as president and managing director in February. Holmes' appointment comes as Disney also seeks the position of head of Disney+ content in the region following the departure of Liam Keelan.
