With over 25 years of experience, Aaron LaBerge is the Chief Technology Officer of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED), one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments consisting of its streaming services and overseas media businesses. In this role, LaBerge is responsible for driving the technological vision and strategic leadership for the design, development, and deployment of a portfolio of more than 90 products that keep Disney at the forefront of the digital world.
As a champion of innovation and growth, LaBerge and his teams work with divisions across the company to create an industry-leading technology infrastructure to meet all future demands. Notably, they develop and manage large-scale technological solutions and standards and create next-generation video and audio platforms. Furthermore, they empower Disney’s unmatched creators and creative engines. As DMED CTO, LaBerge also works in close coordination with other technology leaders across Disney, including Parks, Experiences, Consumer Products, Enterprise Technology, and Walt Disney Studios, among others.
LaBerge's roots with Disney extend back to 1997, when he first joined the company after it acquired Starwave Ventures. At the time, LaBerge was a senior software engineer for Starwave, which produced some of Disney's earliest internet products, including ESPN.com and ABCNews.com. Before Starwave, he was a senior software engineer at Renaissance Interactive, which specialized in internet-based content management and publishing.
LaBerge served two stints at ESPN, separated by six years as a technology entrepreneur and CEO of Fanzter Inc., a venture-funded consumer software and digital product development company he co-founded in 2007. At Fanzter, LaBerge ran its business and directed the development and launch of a variety of consumer-focused Internet and mobile products.
At ESPN, LaBerge also served as CTO. In this position, he played an instrumental role in the growth of the company's digital media products and services, leading many of ESPN’s most ambitious projects while helping to establish ESPN’s position as the leader in digital sports. During this time, he was also a key architect in the design, development, and engineering of many of ESPN’s state-of-the-art facilities around the U.S.
LaBerge, who holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science and engineering from the University of South Carolina, has received numerous industry awards during his long and successful career. In 2016, while at ESPN, he won a Sports Emmy as an Innovator for his involvement with Megacast. That same year, he was nominated for the ESPN Pylon Camera. On top of that, he was featured on Variety’s inaugural Digital Innovators list.