Gene Pao was named EVP Strategy and Digital in 2021 and currently oversees strategy, non-physical distribution and sales, production, marketing, corporate development, and the digital channel business. Gene was SVP of Digital Enterprises where he successfully lead Shout!'s expansion into digital content distribution by brokering key relationships with Tubi, Pluto TV, Amazon, and Roku, as well as building Shout! TV, the company's digital streaming service.

Gene’s 20-year career in digital media started in 1997 at Digitas, a digital marketing agency. In 1999 he joined Firstlook.com, an idealab! Company, who pioneered the use of digital video for promoting music, movies, and video game titles. After the first dotcom crash in 2001, Gene found himself at Disney/ESPN where he developed digital and interactive video businesses such as VOD and interactive television. From 2008 to 2011, he was VP, Digital Media and International Development for Fuel TV, the action sports cable network owned by Fox, where he merged television broadcasting principles with digital and social media to produce live webcasts of action sports events such as surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. From 2011 to 2013, Gene held a number of digital media roles including Action Sports Consultant in YouTube’s Sports Partnership Group; VP Marketing for Golf Channel, part of NBC Sports; and General Manager of Biggest Loser Digital, a joint initiative between NBC Universal and Shine America.

Gene holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Masters from Cornell University, and a BS from North Carolina State University.