Sweeney, Smith join Netflix board
March 30, 2015
Netflix has added Anne Sweeney, recently Co-chair Disney Media Networks and President Disney-ABC Television at Walt Disney, and Brad Smith, Executive VP and General Counsel, Legal and Corporate Affairs at Microsoft to its board, bringing the total number of directors to nine.
“We look forward to benefitting from Brad and Anne’s perspective as we continue to build our global Internet TV network,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and chief executive.
Sweeney’s entertainment experience spans more than three decades including senior roles at the Walt Disney Co., 21st Century Fox and Viacom. Until she stepped down in January, she oversaw Disney’s cable, broadcast and satellite properties around the world since 2004. Previously, she helped establish and served as Chairman and CEO of the FX Networks, part of the Fox.
Smith, who has served as Microsoft’s general counsel since 2002, has amassed broad global technology and public policy experience since joining the company in 1993. He spent three years leading the company’s legal and corporate affairs team in Europe and five years as deputy general counsel responsible for such teams outside the US His area of expertise includes competition law, intellectual property, government surveillance and privacy.