Disney+ EMEA exec Luke Bradley-Jones joins The Economist

Disney+ general manager of EMEA, Luke Bradley-Jones, is leaving The Walt Disney Company to join The Economist as president and managing director of the company.

Luke Bradley-Jones (Source: Disney)

Bradely-Jones, who assumes the role later this summer, will be based in London but will play a key role at its New York office.

Bradley-Jones joined Disney in January 2020 as SVP, direct to consumer and general manager of Disney+ EMEA. During his tenure, he was responsible for the roll-out of Disney+ across the region and the ongoing strategy, operations, and commercial performance of Disney’s DTC business.

Prior to Disney, the exec spent eight years at Sky where he led the transformation of Sky’s On Demand services and was behind the launch of Sky Store, Sky Box Sets, and Sky Q. In 2017 he was named chief marketing officer at the UK pay TV operator, in the role he headed marketing strategy and communications across Sky’s TV, broadband and mobile businesses.

Bradley-Jones also served five years as managing director of BBC.com and Global iPlayer at BBC Studios.

He will work alongside new hire Leon Saunders Calvert who has been appointed president and managing director of Economist Intelligence. In their new roles they will both report directly to Lara Boro, chief executive of The Economist Group.

“Mr Bradley-Jones, an Economist aficionado and subscriber for 30 years, has the track record, vision and leadership ability to further The Economist’s audience growth and digital innovation. He knows how to create just the right products to reach global audiences on a variety of platforms. I couldn’t be happier to have him helm our core Economist business,” said Boro.

“The Economist is a brand I’ve respected and relied on for years,” said Bradley-Jones. “I’m arriving at a moment when its commitment to well-balanced and incisive journalism is more important than ever before. It’s an honour to be tasked with identifying new ways to evolve The Economist into a digital-first product. I look forward to expanding its reach and impact.”