After steering Disney+ ANZ through launch, growth and a few streaming wars, Sally O’Donoghue is stepping away from the top job after seven years leading the platform across Australia and New Zealand.
The long time local chief confirmed her departure in a rare LinkedIn post on Friday, reflecting on the service’s evolution in the region and what comes next.
Appointed in 2019 to lead Disney+ ANZ, O’Donoghue oversaw the streamer’s rollout and rise into a major local player spanning sport, originals and brand extensions.
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Prior to Disney, she held senior commercial and marketing roles across media and sport, building a reputation in audience growth and brand strategy.
In her post, O’Donoghue pointed to the business maturing into a strong direct to consumer operation, highlighting its work with advertisers, partnerships and local storytelling.
She said the team had built a sustainable and ambitious streaming operation grounded in creativity and experimentation.
“We’ve translated imagination, energy, acumen, and dogged determination into a powerful and enviable DTC growth engine in AU/NZ that shows no signs of a fuel shortage.”
She also used the post to thank colleagues across the business and reflect on the milestone.
“It has been an immense privilege and career highlight to launch and lead Disney+ AU/NZ.”
During her tenure, the platform expanded ESPN’s footprint locally and leaned into campaigns and perks to deepen engagement, including the recent rollout of Hulu content within Disney+ as a new vertical for Australian audiences.
O’Donoghue said the decision to step away had been made some months ago, with recent time spent on study, mentoring and mapping out her next move.
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She is now exploring senior leadership opportunities across streaming, tech and subscription driven industries, both locally and internationally.
There is no word yet on a replacement to lead Disney+ ANZ.
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