TikTok position for top Disney executive

ByteDance appointed a top Disney executive as its COO and CEO of TikTok, the video sharing app, the Chinese tech giant said on Tuesday.

Kevin Mayer, who was in charge of the Disney+ streaming service, will take up his new positions on June 1.

Mayer is expected to help ByteDance and TikTok drive global development and comply with local regulations in overseas markets, according to industry insiders.

Mayer will lead the company’s game, music and other services, as well as leading TikTok, a rapidly growing platform as it continues to build a global community of creators, users and brands. He will report to Zhang Yiming, founder and chief executive of ByteDance, according to a company statement.

Before joining ByteDance, Mayer had a long-term career at Disney as chairman of direct-to-consumer and international, overseeing business on Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Hotstar, as well as Disney's international operations, global ad sales and global content sales.

Alex Zhu, current TikTok president, will become a vice president at ByteDance focusing on strategy and product design.

ByteDance is one of the world’s fastest growing tech giants, with a range of products including TikTok ( Douyin in China), Toutiao and Xigua.