Warner Music Group Corp. announced that Bryan Castellani is joining the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective October 16. A seasoned media and financial executive, Castellani has spent more than two decades at The Walt Disney Company, most recently serving as CFO for Disney Entertainment & ESPN.

Based in New York, Castellani will report to WMG's CEO, Robert Kyncl. He succeeds WMG's long-time CFO Eric Levin, who is staying on to ensure a smooth transition, before retiring in January. Prior to being named CFO for Disney Entertainment & ESPN, Castellani was EVP of Finance for Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution (DMED) where he led finance for the segment as well as for its platform distribution, advertising sales, and networks businesses.

Before that, he served as EVP & CFO of ESPN, where he oversaw the network's financial planning, strategy, and real estate functions, and played a key role in programming, affiliate, and new business initiatives. Previously, Castellani was SVP of Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis for The Walt Disney Company, where he worked closely with the segment CFO teams, corporate strategy, and investor relations in managing company-wide operating and planning functions. During his tenure at The Walt Disney Company, Castellani held numerous other financial and operational leadership roles, including SVP of Operations, Business Planning & Strategy for ABC News; VP & CFO of The Walt Disney Company Japan; and Head of Finance & Planning for Disney Consumer Products Japan.

In addition, he previously led finance and planning at ABC News, the ABC Internet Group, and The Disney Store Japan, where he also ran its marketing and promotions team. Castellani started with Disney in 1995 as a financial analyst for The Disney Store. Prior to joining The Walt Disney Company, Castellani worked in international finance at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from the University of Rochester, where he graduated magna cum laude.