SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers announced today that Michael White has been named President of Business Operations overseeing all business aspects of the four Panthers operated facilities: Amerant Bank Arena, Baptist Health IcePlex, Panthers IceDen & War Memorial Auditorium.
White joins the Panthers after most recently serving as Chief Product Officer at Amazon’s autonomous vehicle company, Zoox, where he led consumer strategy, go-to-market, business development, and live operations for the world’s first purpose-built autonomous robotaxi. He helped design and operationalize an AI-powered, end-to-end customer experience while advancing commercial partnerships and launch strategies across key markets.
“We are thrilled to welcome Michael White to our Panthers family. After a diligent and comprehensive search, we are confident that Michael is the right fit to lead our organization into continued success,” said Panthers Owner Michael Viola. “He brings to our club a proven record in consumer experience, partnership growth and product development for some of the world’s most successful companies and invaluable capabilities of organizational leadership and visionary innovation. Michael will play a key role in our next phase of growth as we work to deliver memorable experiences for sports and entertainment fans.”
White previously spent 11 years with The Walt Disney Company where he held several senior leadership roles spanning parks, media, consumer products, and retail. White created connected experiences for millions of consumers across Disney’s businesses and helped advance Disney’s broader digital and direct-to-consumer strategy, including ESPN+, ESPN Digital, and Fantasy Sports.
White also served as Senior Vice President of the Disney Parks Experience, launching industry-leading innovations like MagicBand+ and Genie+ to enhance guest experiences across parks, cruise lines and digital platforms. He was instrumental in the development of digital platforms and products in collaboration with the NBA supporting the restart of the 2020 NBA season and playoffs at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
Earlier in his Disney career, White helped drive the company’s digital modernization across consumer products and interactive media including streaming, mobile, gaming, e-commerce, and connected products across brands including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars including the modernization of Disney Store’s online, mobile, and in-store guest experience platforms.
“From the moment I met the Viola family, it was instantly clear to me how much the Florida Panthers mean to them and how important this organization is to the South Florida community. My family and I are beyond excited to join a world-class group that values success not only by its championships on the ice, but its impact off it as well,” said White. “I am thrilled to bring my experience combining exceptional hospitality and cutting-edge technology to serve Florida Panthers fans at Amerant Bank Arena and all entities of our organization.”
Before joining The Walt Disney Company, White held a number of senior leadership roles across technology and digital consumer businesses, including more than a decade at Yahoo!.
