Disney Announces New Chief Financial and Strategy Officers

Jun 30, 2015 Joe Kleiman Business, News, People, Theme Parks 0

Burbank, CA, USA (June 30, 2015) — Christine M. McCarthy has been named Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Kevin Mayer has been named Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of The Walt Disney Company, effective immediately, it was announced today by Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

“Christine has done an incredible job as Disney’s Treasurer over the past 15 years, and her strong leadership and keen financial acumen make her an ideal Chief Financial Officer,” Mr. Iger said. “She is highly respected in the finance sector, and in this new role she will have even more impact on creating value for Disney shareholders.” Ms. McCarthy will report directly to Mr. Iger.

“Kevin has overseen Corporate Strategy and Business Development at a time of unprecedented growth for Disney, playing an integral role in our successful acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm,” Mr. Iger said. “With this promotion to the new role of Chief Strategy Officer he will continue to focus on growth opportunities and help position the company for the future.” Mr. Mayer, who previously reported to the Chief Financial Officer, will jointly report to Mr. Iger and Thomas O. Staggs, Chief Operating Officer.

As CFO, Ms. McCarthy will now oversee Investor Relations, Corporate Planning and Control, Tax, Corporate Treasury, Corporate Real Estate, Facilities, Integrated Supply Chain Management, and Corporate Citizenship. She succeeds James A. Rasulo as CFO.

“I am humbled and honored to be entrusted with the role of CFO of this incredibly dynamic company,” Ms. McCarthy said. “Under Bob’s leadership, Disney has delivered record results, and I look forward to working with our talented senior management team as we build on the company’s financial strength and strong balance sheet to deliver shareholder value.”

In Ms. McCarthy’s most recent role as Executive Vice President, Corporate Real Estate, Alliances and Treasurer, she developed a finance team responsible for treasury, corporate finance, capital markets, financial risk, international treasury and investments, credit, and risk management.

Mr. Mayer has served since 2005 as Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development, and in his new role as Chief Strategy Officer he will oversee Corporate Strategy, Business Development, Acquisitions, Enterprise Information Technology, Innovation, Brand and Franchise Management, and Global Corporate Alliances.

“I’m extremely gratified to be given this opportunity to further expand Disney’s assets and businesses,” Mr. Mayer said. “Disney’s growth has been incredible these past several years, and I am proud of the role my group has played in facilitating that expansion and excited by the strategic opportunities that lie ahead for the company.”

In 2009 and 2011, readers of The Deal named Disney the Most Admired Corporate Dealmaker in the consumer sector.

Mr. Mayer rejoined Disney from L.E.K. Consulting LLC, where he was a partner and head of the Global Media and Entertainment practice. Prior to L.E.K., Mr. Mayer held leading positions at interactive and Internet businesses, including chairman and CEO of Clear Channel Interactive, where he managed all aspects of new media business, including content, sales, business and technology development, and distribution.

Mr. Mayer first joined Disney in 1993 as Manager, Strategic Planning, where he spearheaded strategy and business development for all of Disney’s interactive/Internet and television businesses worldwide. Later, he became Executive Vice President of the Internet group, responsible for the operations, business plans, creative direction and distribution of Disney’s popular Web sites, including ESPN.com and ABCNews.com. Mr. Mayer received his M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1990, and holds a M.S.E.E. from San Diego State University and a B.S.M.E. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ms. McCarthy has served as Disney’s representative on the board of FM Global since 2010. She is also a Trustee of the Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, Calif., and a mentor for the National Math and Science Initiative’s STEM program. She has been named multiple times to Treasury & Risk magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in Finance,” and in June, 2015 she was named Treasury Today magazine’s Woman of the Year, one of the profession’s most highly regarded benchmarks.

Prior to joining Disney, Ms. McCarthy was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Imperial Bancorp from 1997 to 2000. She held various finance and planning positions at First Interstate Bancorp from 1981 to 1996, and was elected Executive Vice President in Finance for First Interstate in 1993. Ms. McCarthy completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences at Smith College, where she received an award for excellence in botany, and later earned an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Anderson School at UCLA.