Chris Thomes,
Vice President, Marketing Strategy,
ABC Studios and
Governor, Interactive Media,
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
As Vice President, Marketing Strategy for ABC Studios, Thomes is responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategies from development, broadcast, and international roll out for all current ABC Studios TV content across North America with a specific requirement to build the Studio brand and its visibility through the creation of creative, high profile and targeted initiatives to support ABCS development team, producers, North American sales directors, partners and broadcasters across the US and Canada. Previously Thomes was responsible for general management and oversight of branded digital video programming at ABC’s Digital Studio. There he oversaw production for content created by external producers, including derivative digital series, original digital first series and special event live programming for the Disney-ABC Television Group’s diverse portfolio of broadcast and cable networks, including ABC Entertainment, Freeform and Disney Channel networks.
He has been awarded two Emmys for his work at ABC in digital programming and was responsible for helping launch ABC’s foray into original scripted digital short with ABCd.
Prior to joining the Disney/ABC Television Group, Mr. Thomes oversaw digital production and programming for Saban Brands. There he managed the digital assets of Power Rangers and Paul Frank, among others.
Before Saban Brands, Mr. Thomes oversaw ABC.com’s Digital Oscar Experience, which won the 2011 Emmy for Creative Achievement in Interactive Media. He has served as executive producer at Disney’s Interactive Media Group where he oversaw video production and integrated ad sales production and earned four Disney Inventor Awards for his work on Disney Xtreme Digital. At DIMG, Mr. Thomes also produced The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora web series, a comedy cooking show and the Webby Award-winning Jim Henson¹s The Possibility Shop, a Disney.com, web-based original production focused on instilling creativity in kids and parents. Mr. Thomes is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences serving as Governor for Interactive Media. He also served as Vice President, New Media for the Producers Guild of America from 2010-2012 and currently sits on the PGA’s New Media Council Board. Mr. Thomes holds a BA in Film and Television from University of California, San Diego.
