Every year, Laughing Place names the top 10 Most Fascinating Disney People, highlighting those involved with the Walt Disney Company that everyday fans might not be so familiar with. Below are the first nine entrants to this year’s list, with our Disney Person of the Year to be named tomorrow.
Chris Albert
Some people just seem to love their jobs and their enthusiasm is infectious. Chris Albert, executive vice president marketing and publicity for Disney Branded Television and National Geographic Content, always has a smile on his face. Whether attending a film festival, red carpet, or fan event, he is always impeccably dressed and enthusiastic about the content he is promoting. This excellent Instagram follow, describes him as the “hardest working man in show biz,” and for that there is no doubt. The marketing efforts of Nat Geo and Disney Branded Television are some of the most inventive and comprehensive not only amongst Disney but across the entertainment industry. From a Disney Junior series to an award winning documentary, each show or film receives a publicity push that not only promotes the content, but is true to its identity. Chris and his team continue to raise the bar, all the while doing it with a smile.
Bob Iger recently said that in an acquisition, you not only acquire brands and franchises but you also gain talented employees that bring new ideas to the organization. With Chris joining Disney, they not only gained a talented and creative marketing executive but also a ray of sunshine that brightens up everything he is involved with. Given the last few years, we could all use a bit of Chris’ optimism.
Susan Arnold
On June 28th, Disney’s Board of Directors extended Bob Chapek’s contract by three years. At the time the Chairman of the Board, Susan Arnold said, “Disney was dealt a tough hand by the pandemic, yet with Bob at the helm, our businesses—from parks to streaming—not only weathered the storm, but emerged in a position of strength.In this important time of growth and transformation, the Board is committed to keeping Disney on the successful path it is on today, and Bob’s leadership is key to achieving that goal. Bob is the right leader at the right time for The Walt Disney Company, and the Board has full confidence in him and his leadership team.”
On November 20th, Bob Chapek was gone and Susan Arnold said, “We thank Bob Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the Company through this pivotal period.” So what caused Susan Arnold to change her mind in less than five months? We may never know the full story, but as Chairman there is no question that she supported Bob Chapek, until she didn’t. Changing her view set forth the transition that has changed the course of Disney. In the past, Disney has been criticized for not having a strong board of directors that wouldn’t hold the CEO accountable. That is clearly no longer the case.
Quinta Brunson
They said the network sitcom was dead. That was until Quinta Brunson proved she could make one of the funniest comedies on television while working under the constraints of broadcast television. Abbott Elementary has defied conventional wisdom and has won a host of awards. At the Television Critics Association Awards, the show won Program of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Comedy and Outstanding New Program with Quinta winning Individual Achievement in Comedy. In addition, she also won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
Pixar fans also got to hear her perform as the monster truck Ivy who stole scenes in the Disney+ original series Cars on the Road. This means that not only did Quinta win all sorts of awards for Abbott Elementary but she also got to be a Happy Meal toy. One can’t help but wonder which accomplishment means more to her.
Ariana DeBose
Time magazine named Ariana DeBose as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. While having a long career, she rose to great prominence with her performance in 2021’s West Side Story. Her performance was recognized when she was awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
But as big of a night that must have been, it was an afternoon in September that cemented her place in Disney history. At the culmination of the D23 Expo’s animation presentation, Ms. DeBose took the stage and sang “More For Us,” from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming film Wish. The film, which is a cornerstone of Disney’s 100th anniversary celebration, asks the question, “How did the wishing star, upon which so many Disney characters wished, come to be?” Ariana voices Asha who goes on an adventure that proves wondrous things can happen. We look forward to hearing a lot more from this talented actress as we get closer to the film’s release.
Carolyn Everson
When Dan Loeb and his Third Point LLC started to buy Disney shares seeking to impose their perspective on the company, there were a lot of questions about what the impact would be. After conversations, Disney added Carolyn Everson to the Board which is supported by Third Point. As part of adding Ms. Everson to the Board, Third Point agreed to a “standstill period” through the 2024 Annual Meeting meaning they will not engage in any takeover attempts.
But who is Carolyn Everson? She was most recently President of Instacart. Prior to that, she was VP of the Global Business Group at Facebook for over 10 years.. She has had a variety of jobs through the years, including being a manager of Business Development in the 90’s. Disney fans should also note that she also serves on the Board of longtime Disney partner Coca-Cola. This year has proved the important role Disney’s Board of Directors plays. It will be interesting to see how her perspective impacts the future course of the Company.
Horacio Gutierrez
In February, Horacio Gutierrez was named Senior Executive Vice President and General Council. As Disney’s head lawyer he oversees litigation, compliances, transactional law, securities law, regulatory matters, privacy protection, global ethics, and patent, copyright, and trademark issues. Prior to being at Disney, Mr. Gutierrez was most recently the Head of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer at Spotify. Before that, he spent over 17 years in various roles at Microsoft.
He replaces the beloved and retiring Alan Braverman who had been with Disney since the Cap Cities/ABC merger. In a rapidly changing world, Horacio will have a lot to manage while also building a new relationship with Disney’s new CEO Bob Iger whom he had not worked with previously. While he may not be working for the Bob that initially hired him, we expect that he will work well with the new Bob as well.
Christine McCarthy
Disney fans are not supposed to love the CFO. They are supposed to be focused on ensuring the company is managing its businesses in a way that meets shareholder expectations. Under Bob Chapek, Ms. McCarthy took a larger role in Disney’s quarterly earnings conference calls, which resulted in some statements that spurred some mockery on the internet.
But Christine McCarthy turned out to be the unlikely savior Disney fans were looking for. As reported by multiple outlets, it was her lack of confidence in Bob Chapek which was the final straw that resulted in Bob Iger replacing Bob Chapek. When the inevitable book is written about the Bob to Bob to Bob saga, there will be a spotlight on how Mr. Chapek lost the faith of his team. But there does not seem to be any question that Bob Chapek would still be the CEO of The Walt Disney Company if Ms. McCarthy still thought he was the man for the job.
Alexis Quadrani
When we tune in to the Disney earnings calls, we get to hear the voice of the head of Investor Relations. This year, we got a new voice with Alexia Quadrani who joined Disney from J.P. Morgan’s U.S. Media Equity Research group. Ms. Quadrani has been an Institutional Investor ranked analyst for over 20 years.
But this year, hosting earnings calls is the least of the things on Alexis’s plate. With various investment groups trying to sway Disney’s strategy, not to mention an unplanned CEO transition, she has had to communicate an ever changing landscape to Wall Street. It is presumed that Bob Iger is formulating his strategy for the next phase of Disney’s history. Once that is formulated, Ms. Quadrani will communicate why that is the right path forward. It is presumed that convincing “the street” that Disney has a plan will be a lot easier than it was two months ago.
Kristina Schake
Kristina Schake was named Disney’s chief spokesperson at the beginning of April reporting to Disney’s Corporate Affairs Officer Geoff Morrell. Less than a month later, Morrell was out, and Ms. Shacke took on full oversight of Disney’s communications efforts. There is no question that being a communications officer for a company that has a spotlight on it like Disney is more challenging in today’s environment.
In addition to a stint at Instagram, Kristina has had various political positions. She was named by President Biden to lead the COVID-19 vaccine campaign and previously held communications roles with Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Maria Shriver. And while some may point out that she has a long list of positions with Democrats, she is known for her close relationship with her sister who has served Republicans including George W. Bush and a role in John McCain’s presidential campaign.
Replacing longtime communications chief Zenia Mucha is no easy task. She is also another recent Disney addition who finds herself reporting to a different Bob than was originally envisioned. Perhaps she will appreciate Bob Iger’s better communication skills that will hopefully result in fewer gaffes. In any case, let’s hope she is able to position Disney as a uniting force in a divided country.
UPDATE: Check out who our 2022 Disney Person of the Year is!