John Pleasants is an American technology and media executive, entrepreneur, investor, and board director. Over the course of his career, he has held leading roles across digital media, interactive entertainment, mobile technology, e-commerce, and consumer products, including at The Walt Disney Company, IAC, Ticketmaster, Electronic Arts and Samsung Electronics.

Pleasants served as CEO of Ticketmaster from 1999 to 2005, during a period of rapid growth in online ticketing and digital commerce."Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch Names Charles Conn Chairman of the Board; John Pleasants Becomes Chief Executive Officer." PR Newswire. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015. He later served as co-president of Disney Interactive, helping lead the division’s expansion into mobile gaming and digital distribution.

He has served on the boards of several public and private technology and media companies, including Expedia Group, Ticketmaster, Peloton, and Leaf Group."John Pleasants: Executive Profile & Biography." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.

Early life and education John Pleasants was born on August 19, 1965, in Wilmington, Delaware. He graduated from St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire in 1983. After receiving his bachelor's degree at Yale University in 1987,"Alumni Directory." Yale Alumni Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015. Pleasants obtained an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1993."John Pleasants: Executive Profile & Biography." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2015."HBS Alumni Resources." Harvard Business School. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.

Career

Early career and Ticketmaster / IAC Pleasants began his career in consumer products in 1988 at Hygiene Industries and subsequently PepsiCo / Frito-Lay before moving into digital media during the early growth of the commercial internet.Ault, Susanne. "The Last Word - A Q&A With John Pleasants." Billboard 1 Nov. 2003: 100. Google Books. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.

He joined CitySearch in 1996, which later merged with Ticketmaster, where he held several senior executive roles including president and CEO from 1999-2005."Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch and Ticketmaster Corporation Close Transaction; Combined Companies Are Renamed Ticketmaster." News Release. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2015. During his tenure, Ticketmaster expanded its online ticketing and digital commerce operations as the live entertainment industry shifted from phone and retail distribution to internet-based ticketing.

Pleasants also served as President of Information Services for IAC during this time. He led a number of expansive acquisitions and integrations including Match.com, Active Network, and Evite.

Digital health, media and gaming In 2005 Pleasants assumed the role of CEO of Revolution Health.Shin, Annys. "Revolution Invests in Convenient Care." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 06 Oct. 2005. Web. 15 Aug. 2015. In 2008, he joined Electronic Arts, where he served as president of publishing and COO.Sridharan, Vasanth. "Electronic Arts Names Pleasants COO." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 17 Mar. 2008. Web. 15 Aug. 2015. His work focused on global operations, digital distribution, online services, and mobile gaming during a broader industry transition from packaged software and console-centric gaming to digitally distributed and live-service entertainment models.

Pleasants then became CEO of Playdom, a social gaming company acquired by The Walt Disney Company for $563 million in 2010. Following the acquisition, Pleasants became co-president of Disney Interactive, which he helped bring from significant losses to material profits with titles like Disney Infinity.Evangelho, Jason. "Disney Infinity: A Revealing Interview with John Pleasants of Disney Interactive." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.Miller, Daniel. "Disney Interactive Co-President John Pleasants Resigns." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.

In 2013, Pleasants was recruited by Samsung Electronics as executive vice president of Media Solutions, where he focused on mobile software ecosystems, digital media partnerships, connected services, and consumer engagement platforms tied to Samsung's Galaxy mobile business."John Pleasants: Executive Profile & Biography." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2015."Samsung Announces New Executive Appointments Across Strategic Growth Areas." Business Wire. N.p., 10 June 2014. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.Cheng, Jonathan. "Samsung Plucks Execs From BlackBerry, Disney, Nokia." Digits RSS. N.p., 11 June 2014. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.

Connected home technology In 2016, Pleasants joined Brava Home as co-founder and CEO. Brava developed an intelligent countertop oven that cooks with light, which first launched in 2018. Brava was then acquired by The Middleby Corporation, a leading foodservice equipment company, in November of 2019.Connie Loizos "" In 2023, Pleasants co-founded HomeBoost, an AI-powered home energy and management platform.

Board and advisory service Pleasants continues to serve on the boards of AI, technology, media, and consumer companies. His board service has included roles with Expedia Group, Leaf Group, Ticketmaster, Peloton, Displate, Amber, HomeBoost, and other AI-powered technology companies.

Civic and nonprofit involvement Pleasants is involved in philanthropic, civic, education, and humanitarian initiatives, including serving as founding member and regional board member of Leadership Now Project.

Recognition

Honor Company Year(s) ''Sports Business Journals Forty Under Forty Award || Ticketmaster || 2002, 2003"Forty Under 40: Past Winners." SportsBusiness Daily. N.p., 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 Aug. 2015. |- | Business Insider'''s The Silicon Valley 100 Award || Playdom || 2010Sai. "THE SILICON VALLEY 100." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 08 Dec. 2010. Web. 15 Aug. 2015. |- | TechCrunchs The TechFellow Awards Nominee Playdom 2010Arrington, Michael. "Nominate Outstanding Innovators Now For The 2010 TechFellow Awards." TechCrunch. N.p., 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 15 Aug. 2015. NEA's Award for Outstanding Leadership Disney 2011

Personal life Pleasants is married with three children and lives in Silicon Valley, California.

References