ByteDance tapped Kevin Mayer, who oversaw The Walt Disney Company’s streaming push, as its new COO, a role also involving CEO duties at its video-focused social network TikTok.

From 1 June Mayer (pictured, right) will handle corporate development, sales, marketing, public affairs, moderation and legal at ByteDance, along with development of music, gaming, social media and other emerging businesses. He will also be tasked with leading growth on TikTok’s short-form video platform.

Current TikTok president Alex Zhu will shift to a new role as VP of product and strategy at ByteDance.

In a statement ByteDance founder and CEO Yiming Zhang hailed Mayer as “one of the world’s most accomplished entertainment executives”, adding he is “incredibly well placed” to take the company’s “portfolio of products to the next level”.

Mayer joined The Walt Disney Company in 2005, most recently serving as chairman of its direct-to-consumer and international businesses, and leading the launch of Disney+.

The company’s decision to hire a prominent US executive comes after politicians in the country expressed concerns about TikTok’s censorship and privacy practices. In March the company announced plans to open a new transparency centre at its Los Angeles office, as part of attempts to assuage these worries.