Marc DeBevoise has become Chief Executive Officer of OverDrive, the digital library platform, effective June 23, 2026. The company promoted him to President just three months earlier, in March 2026, after he joined in early 2026.

That speed of promotion is notable. When someone moves from President to CEO in roughly three months, it typically means either the board had planned a brief interim arrangement or quickly confirmed that this person was the right permanent fit.

DeBevoise's career has been built at the intersection of digital media and the technology infrastructure that powers it. He was most recently CEO of Brightcove, a cloud video platform used by broadcasters and publishers to stream content and sell access. Before that, he ran CBS Interactive and served as Chief Digital Officer at Paramount — roles that gave him hands-on experience with both content licensing deals and the technical systems needed to deliver video at scale.

That background aligns directly with what OverDrive does. The company operates Libby, a platform that connects public libraries and schools to ebooks, audiobooks, and streaming video. OverDrive acts as the middle layer: it negotiates with publishers, handles the licensing, and provides the technology that libraries use to lend digital content to their patrons. To run that business well, you need to understand licensing economics, content partnerships, and how to build infrastructure that can handle lots of simultaneous users — exactly what DeBevoise has done.

The digital library market sits at a tricky crossroads. Publishers want to protect their sales and control how their books are licensed to libraries. Public institutions have procurement processes and budget constraints. And readers increasingly expect to borrow ebooks and audiobooks as easily as they borrow physical books. OverDrive has long dominated this space, but rising disputes with publishers over licensing terms — and regulatory pressure in some regions — mean that whoever runs the company needs to manage relationships with both publishers and the institutions that buy access. A CEO with experience negotiating major content deals, as DeBevoise did at CBS Interactive and Paramount, is a deliberate choice for that challenge.

OverDrive has been owned by the investment firm KKR since 2015. When a private equity firm holds onto a company for this long, the leadership it hires often shifts from founder or product visionary to seasoned operator. DeBevoise's profile fits that pattern. He is known for scaling platforms and brokering deals rather than building from the ground up — the kind of executive you want when the technology already works and the real work is winning partnerships, managing distribution channels, and improving profitability.

What his specific priorities will be remains unclear. OverDrive's announcement of his appointment confirmed his background but did not outline product plans or financial targets. Observers will likely need to hear from DeBevoise directly or watch for OverDrive's next major partnership announcement to understand where he intends to focus first.