Carol Choi to Lead Disney Asia-Pacific in December
Carol Choi will take over as president of the region following the retirement of veteran executive Luke Kang.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in People
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The Walt Disney Company has announced that Carol Choi will become the new president of its Asia-Pacific operations on December 1, 2026. She succeeds Luke Kang, who is retiring from his leadership role after a 16-year tenure with the organization.
Why it matters
Choi will oversee the company's regional strategy for studios, streaming services, original content, and consumer products. The leadership transition comes as the company aims to significantly increase its output of international original programming.
Carol Choi brings 20 years of experience to her new role, succeeding Luke Kang who completed 16 years at the company. Disney plans to triple its annual production of international original series over the next three years.
The players
Carol Choi
She is the incoming president of Asia-Pacific at The Walt Disney Company who has been with the firm since 2006.
Luke Kang
He is the outgoing president of Asia-Pacific at The Walt Disney Company who is retiring after a 16-year career there.
The Walt Disney Company
It is a global entertainment conglomerate that operates theme parks, film studios, and streaming services worldwide.
The details
Choi currently serves as the executive vice president for the region and manages operations across markets including Greater China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. She will assume full responsibility for these portfolios on December 1.
Timeline
Carol Choi joined Disney in 2006.
Luke Kang joined Disney in 2011.
Carol Choi begins her role as president on December 1, 2026.
Market Landscape
The leadership change follows the pattern set by Disney's three-year international original series production expansion, which requires new executive oversight for regional content. This move positions the company to maintain its competitive edge against local and global streaming rivals in the Asian market.
Consumers in the Asia-Pacific region can expect to see a significant increase in original content offerings as the company triples its production volume over the next three years. This shift aims to provide subscribers with more locally-relevant series and expanded consumer product availability.
The takeaway
This transition signals a continued shift toward localized content production strategies within major entertainment conglomerates. Industry observers should monitor how this new leadership impacts the breadth and quality of regional streaming libraries over the coming years.
What happens next
Carol Choi will formally begin her new duties as president of Asia-Pacific on December 1, 2026.
Further reading
For more on executive shifts, visit the People section.
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