ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has appointed Kevin Mayer as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective June 1. Kevin Mayer will also take charge as chief executive officer (CEO) for TikTok, which continues to build its global community of creators, users and brands.
Mayer will report directly to ByteDance’s founder and CEO, Yiming Zhang, and will be responsible for driving the company’s global development as well as overseeing corporate functions including corporate development, sales, marketing, public affairs, security, moderation, and legal.
Mayer joins the company following a long career at Disney, most recently as Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer & International. As a key part of his role there, he oversaw the development and successful rollout of Disney+, the company’s flagship streaming service.
Additionally, Mayer led the company’s other direct-to-consumer businesses, including Hulu, ESPN+, and Hotstar, as well as overseeing Disney’s international operations, global ad sales, and global content sales.
Alex Zhu, the current President of TikTok, will transition to ByteDance VP of Product & Strategy, where he will focus on his primary passion overseeing 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, as ByteDance’s global CEO. They manage a range of products, including Douyin, Toutiao, and Xigua, in addition to their duties leading the business and operational teams in China.
TikTok’s national and regional leaders will remain in their roles with their current responsibilities, reporting in to Kevin, who will be responsible for the global business.