Roku hires Disney exec Louise Pentland as general counsel

Louise Pentland, a technology industry veteran who most recently worked at Disney, will join streaming platform company Roku as senior VP and general counsel.

Pentland will start at Roku on July 23 and report to founder and CEO Anthony Wood. She will succeed current SVP and general counsel Stephen Kay, who is retiring in November 2023 after more than 10 years at the company.

Pentland joins Roku from the Walt Disney Co., where she has served as executive VP and chief counsel for the Disney Experiences and Products division since September 2023. In this role, she has overseen all legal and regulatory matters for the business, including global theme parks, cruise operations, global consumer products operations and e-commerce platform.

“We are delighted to welcome Louise to Roku’s executive team,” Wood said in announcing the hire. “Her extensive expertise in legal affairs, government relations, and corporate governance will be invaluable as we advance our mission to transform how the world watches TV and connect and enhance the entire TV ecosystem. Meanwhile, we thank Steve for his many important contributions to the company’s success and wish him the very best as he prepares for his well-deserved retirement.”

Pentland commented, “I’m thrilled to join Roku during such an exciting period and feel privileged to be part of a company at the forefront of the streaming revolution. Roku has always been a leader and innovator in smart TV, and I’m eager to contribute to the company’s ambitious future goals in this new role.”

Prior to Disney, Pentland served as EVP, chief business affairs and legal officer for PayPal. She spent more than 16 years at Nokia, most recently as EVP and chief legal officer. Pentland continues to serve as a non-executive director at Experian, Hitachi Ltd. and Pacific Life.

Pentland holds both an undergraduate degree in law and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from England’s Northumbria University. She is licensed to practice law in the U.S., England, Wales, and Europe. Variety