Penn Entertainment names Aaron LaBerge as CTO

Penn Entertainment has appointed former Disney executive Aaron LaBerge as chief technology officer.

LaBerge will assume his new role at the gaming operator on July 1 and will be responsible for driving the company’s technology strategy and execution, reporting directly to chief executive Jay Snowden.

LaBerge joins Penn from The Walt Disney Company, where he most recently served as president and CTO of Disney Entertainment and ESPN.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Aaron’s caliber join our Penn executive team,” said Snowden. “Having overseen a global organization of thousands of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, and data scientists that created some of the largest scale and most successful media properties in the world, there is no better candidate to lead our Technology and Interactive division into its future.”

The appointment of LaBerge follows Penn's 2023 agreement to use ESPN as its sports betting brand in the United States. 

LaBerge said of his appointment: “I'm excited to join another talented team at Penn Interactive and lead our technology strategy. Penn Entertainment is at the forefront of the fast-changing gaming and sports media industry. 

“I plan to use my experience from Disney and ESPN to help make ESPN Bet an essential piece of the sports fan experience. Together, we'll push the limits and redefine how fans interact with sports and gaming.”

Shares in Penn Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:PENN) closed 2.36 per cent higher at $16.93 per share in New York Monday.