It’s a tumultuous time for the Disney Parks. While the massive budget Star Wars lands in Anaheim and Orlando struggle to catch fire with guests, heads are rolling and positions shifting for top executives. After short tenures for many of Disney Parks top bosses, the first wave of changes comes as the Parks brace for more realignments and further potential budget cuts.
Disneyland Resort Executive Changes
Rebecca Campbell will become the President of the Disneyland Resort this November. She was previously president of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Disney’s direct-to-consumer and international segment. Rebecca comes from ABC and has some positive buzz from the folks who worked with her. She has a passion for the “Girl Up” program of the United Nations which promotes the health, safety, education, and leadership of girls in developing countries. With the promotion of Rebecca, there are now more women than men in Disneyland senior management positions.
Here’s Rebecca speaking at a Girl Up leadership summit:
Walt Disney World Executive Changes
Josh D’Amaro will take over the Walt Disney World Resort in November. It’s a big job which was previously held by George Kalogridis (also a former Disneyland President). Josh is well-liked and not likely to cause much concern for the lower-level Disney World team, though there may be some juggling of higher-level management and realignment of budgets as always follow these sorts of executive shakeups.
George A. Kalogridis, who has led Walt Disney World Resort since leaving as Disneyland President in 2013, will take on a new role as president of Segment Development and Enrichment. It’s hard to quantify a position that is described as “developing strategic and operational business initiatives while developing and scaling best practices across sites and lines of business.” He will also lead the Disney Institute, and serve as a strategic advisor to park operators.
We do hope that unlike other positions that were created specifically for high-level Disney Parks executives, this one sticks. George’s 50-year history with the company and great skills as a park operator is far too valuable to be pushed aside like it sounds like may be the case here.
Disneyland Paris Executive Changes
Michael Colglazier is moving up in the world. It was just in 2018 that he was sent from Disneyland to run Disney’s parks in Asia. Now Paris is being added to his portfolio as well. The current Disneyland Paris President remains in place. (EDITOR NOTE: This item was updated to make it clear that Michael Colglazier retains his leadership over the Asian parks)
The Gossip
The rapid shifting of executives comes just days after Catherine Powell, former Disneyland Paris President was shown the door. Catherine had just recently accepted a new position managing the Disneyland, Disney World, and Disneyland Paris parks at a very high level. Catherine was well-liked and some speculate that she was a sacrificial lamb for the lackluster public response to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (a project she had very little to do with, and which was designed by Imagineering and approved by Bob Chapek).
Many of the folks being shifted have held their positions for less than two years, barely enough time to create new teams, resort plans, and implement strategic changes. The shift throws much of that work out the window as a new team almost always comes with a new philosophy and agenda. Shareholders are likely to take note that this is strange business practice and exposes an underlying tumult in the Disney Parks and Resorts division. As a result, there will likely be a 2nd shoe to drop once Disney’s board catches up to the truth behind all the recent changes and statements.
In response to stories about Catherine Powell exiting due the critical failure of Star Wars land, Bob Chapek stated, “Powell’s position had initially been added just under two years ago when Disney began gearing up for the upcoming integration of its acquisition of Fox and its integration of Consumer Products – publishing, gaming and merchandise – into its Parks segment. . . . What could have been a 5-year assignment turned out to be an 18-month mission.”
It would be highly unusual for someone to do a great job at Disney, finishing their work years early, only to be let go as an unjust reward for a job well done. There’s clearly more to this story and fingers are now pointing to someone being afraid of Catherine’s rapid rise and likeability. Catherine could have become a contender for Iger’s waning role as CEO of the Disney Company (he is now expected to depart in 2021), or at the very least head of Disney Parks and Resorts. Sadly, the internal politics didn’t work out for her.
Investors rely on corporate disclosures and public statements, like Bob Chapek’s, in order to decide whether to invest. Both state and federal securities laws prohibit false or misleading statements. Which makes the following claim made by Bob in regards to Catherine’s departure all the more strange, “I will tell you that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has exceeded every expectation we’ve had” . . . “There is no there there to this being anything other than a runaway success.”
Staffing and entertainment cutbacks in the parks, low wait times for the normally busy summer season, and record low hotel occupancy throughout the Anaheim area indicate that Bob’s statement about the “runaway success” of Galaxy’s Edge just isn’t the real story and opens him and the Disney Company up to great scrutiny by Disney’s investors.
There is, of course, more to all of these executive changes and statements. We’ll be keeping an eye on the situation as reshuffling and exits start to filter down the management chain.
Let’s hear your thoughts folks. Are you happy with these changes? Did Catherine Powell get a fair shake? Are you familiar with Rebecca Campbell? Should George Kalogridis have been given more time at Disney World or perhaps moved up to head of Parks and Resorts?
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