Photo: Screenshot, MasterclassA new female Vice President has just been appointed within the Walt Disney Company, promising great things for customer engagement and media strategy within the Walt Disney Company.
When it comes to leadership at Disney, there have been some recent slip-ups that sent the company having to backtrack and re-evaluate their decisions.
In February 2020, just as the pandemic would flip everything at the Walt Disney Company on its head, Bob Chapek took over at the CEO of the company. During that time, Chapek would have to find out how to stay afloat while Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and all of the other parks would shut down. Additionally, movie theaters would close and work on set would come to a halt. The Disney brand, which has often been about experiencing what they have to offer, would have to pivot. Luckily, Bob Iger started Disney+ before he left the company, which gave Disney the opportunity to connect with fans in their own homes.
Even with the theme parks reopening, the Walt Disney Company was not doing very well, and most executives chalked up the company’s failures to Bob Chapek. So, in November 2020, Disney fired Chapek and brought back Iger to try that swap one more time. Now, Iger is in the CEO position until 2026 as Disney continues to search for new leadership.
In the past, we have discussed who could potentially take over for Iger, with the battle between an external or internal hire being the main question.
If the company were to look internally, their latest promotion could be a good fit.
As reported by Seatrade Cruise News, “Veteran cruise line executive Isis Ruiz has a new position as VP customer engagement, media strategy & activation at Disney Experiences.” The publication continued, “She will lead the development of the media activation strategy for paid and owned media for Disney Experiences businesses domestically. Disney Experiences spans an array of areas including Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Disney Vacation Club, National Geographic Expeditions, theme parks and consumer products.
We know Disney will be expanding its fleet in December with the Disney Treasure ship debuting, and Bob Iger has confirmed that of the $10 billion pledged to go to the expansion of theme parks and experiences, the “high seas” will also see a good chunk of that change, which means more ship expansions within Disney Cruise Line, making Isis Ruiz’s new position more crucial than ever.
Previous to joining Disney, she worked with Virgin Voyages as their cheif growth officer, as well as American Queen Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Carnival Cruise Line.
When it comes to Bob Iger’s next successor, Fortune has shared some insight:
“Currently, internal candidates for the top job are said to include Dana Walden, co-chair of filmed entertainment, and Josh D’Amaro, who heads Disney theme parks. What’s more, Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, who at one point were considered the heirs apparent to Iger, have also rejoined the company in advisory roles,” the publication states.
Knowing this, we also know that Disney will have access to the largest talent pool that exists, and will likely be able to pick from nearly any great leader that has already showcased their abilities through successes with other companies outside of Disney.
That being said, Bruno, who has held executive roles at Just Eat and TripAdvisor and believes help from the outside is needed, “They have a problem with their streaming channel, they had the problems with the NBC Fox acquisition, their theme parks are empty and then they had a number of flops like the Haunted Mansion and The Little Mermaid which lost millions. So how do they regain the magic at Disney? They need, in my opinion, a big change—and that change isn’t going to come from inside.”
Bruno elaborated that locating the ideal candidate would be a challenging endeavor. It requires finding an individual who comprehends a multitude of markets, considering Disney’s vast presence spanning entertainment, theme parks, cruise lines, merchandise, and beyond.
Therefore, someone who understands growth, marketing, and connecting with the customer experience to get them coming back and wanting more like Isis has done time and time again, could be a good quality for Disney to keep in mind when vetting internally, as she will learn the ropes within the House of Mouse, but does have her skills built up from other major external companies.
Who do you think would be a good fit to take over as the CEO of Disney after Bob Iger leaves?