Airbnb
Pushing past its short-term rental identity, Airbnb appointed former Meta GenAI head Ahmad Al-Dahle as its new technology chief. Al-Dahle, who previously spent 16 years at Apple, is now tasked with moving the company up-funnel to travel search and making "AI right for travel." CEO Brian Chesky envisions this high-stakes hire transforming the platform into a 24/7 "travel concierge.”
Disney
In a sweeping marketing reorganization, The Walt Disney Company is elevating longtime executive Asad Ayaz to Chief Marketing and Brand Officer. With more than two decades at Disney, Ayaz steps into the role as the company consolidates marketing teams across Disney Entertainment, Disney Experiences, and ESPN in response to ongoing industry disruption.
Paramount
Paramount taps former board member Dennis K. Cinelli as Chief Financial Officer. Cinelli, who was instrumental in taking Uber public and guided Scale AI through strategic fundraising to a nearly $30 billion valuation, promises a focus on rapid revenue growth. This move, following the exit of two finance chiefs since June 2025, is solidified by the addition of Disney and Nike veteran Andrew Campion as an independent director.
Thinking Machines Lab
Former OpenAI VP of Research Barret Zoph has abruptly left Mira Murati’s high-profile startup, Thinking Machines Lab. Zoph served as the company’s co-founder and CTO before making a quick return to OpenAI. His unamicable exit, alongside a second co-founder, marks a notable setback for the young AI venture, which was valued at $12 billion less than a year after launch.
Zscaler
Cloud security leader Zscaler appointed Dr. Swamy Kocherlakota as EVP of Agentic AI Security Engineering to confront the "advanced threats" posed by autonomous agentic AI. A 30-year industry veteran, Kocherlakota previously led AI strategy at a global financial analytics firm and will now spearhead efforts to expand the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, which is trusted by 45% of the Fortune 500.
Microsoft
Ex-Pinterest CMO Andréa Mallard, who departed after seven years, is now the new CMO of Microsoft AI (MAI), the tech giant's dedicated research lab. This appointment is in tandem with MAI's continued aggressive move to expand its core AI-powered tools, including the LLM companion Copilot and the Bing search engine. The legacy tech company underscores its escalating ambitions by committing billions to OpenAI, ensuring its models are deeply embedded across its ecosystem.
Anthropic
Anthropic is serious about its Indian expansion, naming former Microsoft India managing director Irina Ghose to lead its business in this critical market. Already Claude’s second-largest user base, India saw app downloads increase 48% and consumer spending surge 572% to $195,000 in September. Ghose's mandate is to convert this high usage into revenue by focusing on high-trust, enterprise-grade AI solutions.
Walmart
A major shift is underway at retail giant Walmart Inc. as Kathryn McLay, President and CEO of Walmart International, prepares her exit. During her decade-long tenure, she led a standout run at Sam’s Club U.S., delivering 12 consecutive quarters of double-digit sales growth. McLay will remain through January 31 for the transition, with her successor yet to be announced.
Gap Inc.
Gap Inc., focused on strengthening its foundation, has appointed former Paramount executive Pam Kaufman as Chief Entertainment Officer. Kaufman, who oversaw a multi-billion-dollar organization spanning over 170 markets, will leverage her experience to build the company’s crucial "Fashiontainment" platform. Signaling a major new phase of momentum, Gap Inc. will establish a Los Angeles hub to embed its brands in pop culture and drive long-term growth.
CNBC
Media veteran Sally Shin is returning to CNBC as Executive Vice President of Growth and Partnerships. Drawing on experience as a Venture Partner at Comcast Ventures and co-founder of the AI firm Raive, she is poised to set CNBC apart in the evolving media landscape. Her immediate mandate is clear: accelerate the distinctive brand's growth across emerging media platforms and unlock new revenue opportunities.
Want more org charts? Sign up to The Org here!
