Netflix appoints Darshan Kantak as new ads platform leader
Streaming giant taps former Google executive to bolster ad tech amid revenue forecast cut.
Former colleagues of Darshan Kantak, Netflix's new VP of its ads platform, said he's used to solving complex problems. Courtesy of Darshan Kantak (Photo via Business Insider)
2, 2026, the appointment of Darshan Kantak as the new vice president of its advertising platform. Kantak, a former Google Cloud executive, will report directly to Amy Reinhard, the company's president of advertising.
The new executive brings experience from previous senior roles at companies including Snap, Meta, Microsoft, and Yahoo. In his new capacity, Kantak will oversee the teams responsible for product, engineering, and data insights, with a focus on refining the company's advertising technology stack.
The leadership change follows a recent adjustment to the company's 2026 advertising revenue forecast, which was lowered to $2.7 billion from a previous projection of $3 billion. Netflix attributed the revision to a slower-than-expected rollout of certain advertising product capabilities.
Despite the lowered forecast, the company anticipates its advertising business will grow by 80% this year as it seeks to scale operations amid a saturated U.S. subscription market. This transition occurs alongside a broader company workforce reduction of 6%, affecting approximately 1,000 employees.
Amy Reinhard stated that Kantak's background in technical skills, AI tooling, and operations will be instrumental to the company's advertising efforts. Kantak noted that his focus will be on building relevant ad solutions and enhancing the effectiveness of the platform's technical tools.