Kevin Mayer, Former Head of Disney Streaming, Quits as TikTok CEO

by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 27, 2020

Early this morning, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kevin Mayer resigned as CEO of TikTok. The social media platform is an app for easily making and sharing short videos.

Mayer, the former head of Disney’s streaming business, resigned his job at Disney in May of this year, after he had been passed over for the House of Mouse CEO job, to take the TikTok leadership position.

The Journal reported, “In a letter to staff, Mr. Mayer said the political environment had ‘sharply changed’ in recent weeks and the role of CEO would look very different after an expected sale of TikTok’s U.S. business.”

So, Mayer only lasted for three months in the TikTok job.

DisneyBizJournal.com ran an analysis piece early this month – “From King of Disney Streaming to TikTok Troubles: The Strange Journey of Kevin Mayer” – on Mayer’s wild eight-month-plus ride from heading up Disney streaming to becoming the TikTok CEO to the dramatic political shift against TikTok in the U.S. given the company’s Chinese ties.

The Journal noted, “Vanessa Pappas, currently the U.S. general manager of the app, would serve as interim head for TikTok in his absence…”

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Also, get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.