Short answer: The biggest CTO appointment of autumn 2026 is Disney naming Karandeep Anand, former CEO of Character.ai, as its first chief technology officer, effective October 2, 2026. The same week, AutoNation appointed Ravi Simhambhatla as Chief Technology and AI Officer. Both moves put AI, data and enterprise platforms under 1 executive who reports to the CEO, a pattern now visible across retail, healthcare and consumer companies.

Key takeaways

• Disney created its first CTO role and filled it with a sitting AI company CEO, reporting to CEO Josh D'Amaro.
• "AI" is entering the title. AutoNation's new executive is Chief Technology and AI Officer, not CTO alone.
• At least 13 CIO and chief digital appointments were reported in October 2026 alone, including Mars, BD, Trader Joe's, Centene and Mutual of Omaha (CIO.com).
• Outside hires dominate at the top: most October appointees came from another company, often from a different industry.

What did Disney announce?

Disney named Karandeep Anand chief technology officer and senior executive vice president, a newly created role, effective October 2, 2026. According to CIO Dive, the role covers enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, and Anand reports to CEO Josh D'Amaro, who took over from Bob Iger in March 2026. Anand previously led Character.ai and held leadership roles at Facebook and Microsoft. Some members of Character.ai's technical team are expected to follow him. D'Amaro had named data unification an enterprise-wide priority on Disney's August earnings call.

What did AutoNation announce?

AutoNation appointed Ravi Simhambhatla Chief Technology and AI Officer effective October 1, 2026. He joins from Avis Budget Group, where he was Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, and earlier held roles at Google Cloud, United Airlines, Aer Lingus (CTO), Tesla and Virgin America (CIO). CEO Mike Manley framed technology and AI as a way to raise returns on AutoNation's existing physical footprint.

Which other technology chiefs were appointed?

[Table 1]

Two more signals stand out. Publix will promote CIO Laurie Douglas to executive vice president, chief information and digital officer, effective January 1, 2027, and created an SVP role covering development, omnichannel, data and AI. And Chetan Kandhari moved to Mutual of Omaha as CIO from a chief AI and digital transformation role at Nationwide, a sign that AI leadership experience is now a path into the CIO seat.

What patterns do these appointments show?

[Table 2]

What should CHROs and boards take from this?

1. Expect title inflation around AI. Combined titles such as Chief Technology and AI Officer or Chief Information and Digital Officer are replacing single-scope roles. Define scope before you define the title.
2. Look outside your industry. Disney hired from an AI startup; AutoNation from car rental and airlines; Mars from consumer health. Sector knowledge matters less than operating AI and data platforms at scale.
3. Plan for reporting to the CEO. The new roles sit on the executive committee, which changes compensation and candidate expectations. See AI-native CTO compensation data.
4. Use a specialist search partner. A candidate pool this mobile needs active mapping. See how CHROs should choose a CTO search firm and the list of top CTO recruiters.

For the other side of the market, see the 2026 CTO departures tracker.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Disney's new CTO?

Karandeep Anand, former CEO of Character.ai, became Disney's first chief technology officer and senior executive vice president on October 2, 2026. He reports to CEO Josh D'Amaro and oversees enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms.

Who is AutoNation's Chief Technology and AI Officer?

Ravi Simhambhatla, formerly Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Avis Budget Group, was appointed effective October 1, 2026.

Why are companies combining CTO and AI roles?

Companies want 1 accountable executive for the infrastructure, data and AI platforms that AI products depend on, rather than splitting them across separate leaders.

How should a CHRO start a CTO search in 2026?

Agree the scope and reporting line with the CEO first, benchmark compensation against current AI-era offers, and retain a search firm with a recent track record of CTO and AI leadership placements.

Hiring a CTO or building a technology leadership bench? See CTO Club hiring resources or apply to join CTO Club.