Ahead of the launch of a branded betting platform in partnership with PENN Entertainment, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has announced that Mark Walker has been promoted to serve as the executive vice president of ESPN BET.
Walker’s role will also encompass business development and sports innovation, and he will continue to report to Pitaro. Mark Walker joined ESPN in 2019 to lead the network’s business development center of excellence, where he has kept a focus on innovating in sports media. Part of his role includes overseeing ESPN Edge, a business sector responsible for finding new ways for fans to experience sports media coverage.
Chara-Lynn Aguiar has been promoted to executive vice president and will now add finance to her responsibilities, which span the areas of strategy, research, and the Office of the Chair. Aguiar will report to both Pitaro and interim chief financial officer of The Walt Disney Company, Kevin Lansberry. She started her career with the company as a research analyst at ABC in 2009 before moving to the global distribution strategy group for Disney and ESPN Media Networks. After time spent at YouTube and FOX Sports, she returned to the company in 2018 to join ESPN and work in management.
Thomas Hennessy, the senior vice president of finance, will be retiring from ESPN, concluding a 27-year career with the company. Over the last three years, Hennessy was responsible for overseeing the network’s profit and loss (P&L) statement and cash flow projections. Moreover, he managed budgeting in content, marketing, and administration. Disney recently revealed financial data for its sports segment through Q3 2023.
“As we work towards reporting our financials for the first time as a segment on Nov. 8, Tom has been at the forefront of those efforts, working tirelessly on behalf of the organization,” Pitaro wrote in an internal memo obtained by John Ourand of Sports Business Journal. Hennessy’s last day with the network is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18.
