ABOUT US

Executive Vice President, Chief Digital and Technology Officer

Gail Evans is Executive Vice President, Chief Digital and Technology Officer (CDTO) for Disney Experiences. In her role, she oversees the strategy, development, and implementation of digital and technology strategies across all of the segment’s businesses around the world. Gail leads a global multi-disciplinary team of digital, technology, product, data, and operations professionals. In addition to delivering innovative technology solutions, under Gail’s leadership, the team delivers a growing portfolio of products and experiences like MagicBand+ and Hey Disney!, bringing the digital and physical together and extending Disney’s legendary storytelling into a boundless future. 

Gail brings decades of experience transforming leading organizations by leveraging the power of technology to drive growth, effect digital transformation, and build new business models. She most recently served as Mercer’s first Chief Digital Officer. Prior to Mercer, she held senior leadership positions spanning various industries, including Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Bank of America, and several positions at Eastman Kodak Company, including CIO of Eastman Kodak’s Consumer Digital business. 

In recognition of these achievements and others, in May 2019, Gail was selected as a finalist for the MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award. In November 2018, Gail received the Phenom Award from the Digital Diversity Network, which honors trailblazers in the digital media and technology sectors. She was also recognized as one of the Top 100 Chief Digital Officers by her peers at hottopics.ht and Hewlett Packard. 

Gail holds a bachelor’s degree from Nazareth College and an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School. She also proudly holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Nazareth College.  

In addition to her formal responsibilities, Gail is passionate about using her time mentoring the next generation of women leaders in technology and leading programs that build a more inclusive workplace for all. 

President, Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing

As president of Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, Tasia Filippatos leads the team of world-class product, licensing and retail experts, artists, storytellers, and technologists who bring The Walt Disney Company’s iconic stories and beloved characters to life through immersive products and experiences enjoyed by millions of fans, families, and guests each day.

Under her leadership, CPGP creates and delivers products across a variety of channels, including Disney store, shopDisney, Disney Parks and retail and e-commerce partners, as well as the world’s largest licensing organization spanning numerous categories. CPGP is also home to the company’s games and interactive experiences businesses, and Disney Publishing Worldwide, one of the world’s largest publishers of children’s books and magazines.

Prior to becoming president of CPGP, Tasia oversaw the CPGP business in Europe, Middle East, and Africa as senior vice president. There, she drove the development of commercial strategies spanning all product categories including toys, fashion, publishing, and games across the region, and oversaw Disney Store and shopdisney.com in Europe.

Tasia joined the EMEA team in October 2018 after leading global communications and public affairs teams for both Disney Parks, Experience and Products, and Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. In these roles, she drove transformative change across these global functions, instilling a business-driven communications approach to enhance the Disney brand.

Tasia is a member of the CEO’s Diversity & Inclusion Council. She currently also sits on the Board of Directors for global charity Make-A-Wish International and serves on the Development Board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Prior to joining The Walt Disney Company in 2008, Tasia served in a number of senior level government positions in Washington, D.C. and began her career as a litigation attorney. She is an honors graduate of Claremont McKenna College and received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Executive Vice President, Human Resources

As Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Tami Garcia is responsible for all human resources-related services for more than 170,000 Disney Experiences employees, Cast Members, Crew Members and Imagineers worldwide. She and her global team partner with leaders across the segment’s various businesses to develop people strategies that foster a world-class culture and drive results. Tami oversees the teams that lead diversity and inclusion, learning and development, talent acquisition and management, employee relations, labor relations, compensation and benefits, and workforce strategy systems and analytics for the entire DPEP segment.

Prior to this role, Tami served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, where she developed and implemented human resource strategies and programs to align the global business needs across the organization. She was also head of HR during the development phase of Shanghai Disney Resort.

Tami joined The Walt Disney Company in 1990 as part of the Global Mobility team for Walt Disney Imagineering. She held various positions at WDI, ultimately overseeing all human resources activities at Imagineering. In that leadership capacity, she helped establish HR functions for WDI at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Prior to joining Disney, Tami worked at Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company in various human resources positions.

Tami holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Woodbury University in Burbank, California.

Executive Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs

As Executive Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, Alannah Hall-Smith oversees the worldwide communications and positioning strategy for Disney Experiences, where she also serves on the Chairman’s Executive Committee.

Under Alannah’s leadership, the Communications and Public Affairs team manages a strategic mix of programs and plans that advance the business, enhance reputation, engage key stakeholders, and maintain relevancy with audiences around the world. Her global organization includes corporate communications, public relations, influencer engagement, creative content, social media strategy, executive engagement, employee communications, community relations, government relations, corporate citizenship, communications events, and business-to-business communications.

Alannah joined Disney in 2005 as vice president, Corporate Communications, Asia Pacific Region, overseeing the company’s regional communications activities for business operations and strategic initiatives. After living in Hong Kong for nearly 20 years, she relocated to Shanghai in 2015, taking an increased focus on communications for Disney’s operations in that market and expanding her overall scope as vice president, Corporate Communications, Asia Pacific and Japan. She moved to California in 2018 upon assuming leadership of Communications and Public Affairs at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

Prior to joining Disney, Alannah held senior agency roles and has an extensive communications background working with multinational clients across the Asia Pacific region.

Alannah is native to Australia and has a Bachelor of Commerce from Griffith University. She was also a Founding Board Member of Women Media Networks, a not-for-profit organization that provides members with professional support, leadership development, and networking opportunities.

Interim Chief Financial Officer

Andy Hopkins is Interim Chief Financial Officer of Disney Experiences. In his role, Andy is responsible for the financial planning and fiscal management of domestic and international theme parks and resorts, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, Revenue Management and Analytics, Global Business Development and Consumer Products.

Prior to his role, Andy served as Senior Vice President, Global Development & Finance for Disney Experiences segment (DPEP), where he led the team responsible for global strategy, new business development and real estate across the DPEP global portfolio of businesses. In addition, Andy oversaw the finance teams for Disney’s three theme parks in Asia and for Walt Disney Imagineering as well as the team responsible for managing third party tenants and partnerships within Disney resort properties. Andy serves on the Boards of Directors for Shanghai Disneyland Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland, and was deeply involved in the incubation, development and launch of Storyliving by Disney residential communities.

Andy joined The Walt Disney Company in 2006, and prior to taking role within DPEP in 2017, he served as the Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development for the Company. In this role, he executed acquisitions, joint ventures, partnerships and divestitures, including leading the teams for the transformational acquisitions of Marvel and Lucasfilm.

Prior to joining The Walt Disney Company, Andy served as the Vice President, Corporate Development for Expedia, Inc. He also previously held similar roles at InterActiveCorp, Artisan Entertainment and Universal Studios. Andy began his career as an investment banker in the Mergers & Acquisitions group of Credit Suisse First Boston in New York City and Los Angeles.

Andy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Wesleyan University majoring in Economics.

President, Disney Signature Experiences

Thomas Mazloum is the president of Disney Signature Experiences, leading several key growth businesses for the Disney Experiences segment including Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, Golden Oak, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Disney Institute and Storyliving by Disney.

At Disney Cruise Line, Thomas is responsible for the entire award-winning operation, including five cruise ships, Disney Castaway Cay in The Bahamas and the Port Canaveral cruise terminal, all of which showcase immersive family entertainment, enchanting storytelling and world-class service. Thomas has been instrumental as Disney Cruise Line significantly expands its offerings on a global scale with three new ships, including the Disney Adventure, which will sail from Singapore; a second island destination in The Bahamas, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point; a new terminal in Port Everglades, Fla.; and additional ports of call in new regions.

Thomas also leads Disney Vacation Club, the company’s popular vacation-ownership program that features a portfolio of 16 themed resorts; Adventures by Disney and National Geographic Expeditions, Disney’s guided group travel businesses; Golden Oak, the company’s luxury community of custom homes at Walt Disney World Resort; and Disney Institute, which celebrates advancement and exploration through engaging and enriching programming.

Additionally, Thomas is responsible for the strategic development of the Storyliving by Disney master planned communities that highlight the attention to detail, unique amenities and special touches that are Disney hallmarks. Cotino community is underway in Rancho Mirage, California, and additional U.S. locations are being explored for development.

Before being named to his current role, Thomas served as senior vice president of operations at the Walt Disney World Resort, overseeing 30 Disney resort hotels as well as premium services, security and transportation operations.

Thomas began his Disney career in 1998 as a hotel director for Disney Cruise Line and later served as general manager of Food & Beverage and Special Events at EPCOT. Before returning to Disney in 2017, Thomas served as the chief operating officer of Crystal Cruise Line.

Born in Austria, Thomas earned his degree in hotel management and administration in Innsbruck. A lifelong learner, he has also received several business certifications from institutions including Cornell University, the Hotel School of Lausanne and the Hotel School of Salzburg.

Chief Counsel Disney Experiences

Louise Pentland is Chief Counsel for Disney Experiences. She oversees all legal and regulatory matters for the segment’s businesses, including six theme park-resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; an award-winning guided family adventure business; and Disney’s global consumer products operations, which include the world’s leading licensing business across toys, apparel, home goods, digital games and apps; the world’s largest children’s print publisher; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.

Louise is a highly accomplished legal executive with more than two decades of experience serving at the highest levels of innovative global companies. Most recently, she served as Chief Business Affairs and Legal Officer at PayPal, where she was responsible for the company’s global people, legal, communications, IP, government relations and social innovation functions, with oversight of financial, regulatory and legal requirements worldwide. She also led stakeholder engagement to promote PayPal’s reputation globally.

Prior to PayPal, Louise was Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Nokia Corporation, where she directed the company’s legal and government affairs functions, M&A and IP management, for which her team was named Europe’s most innovative in-house legal team by the Financial Times in 2011.

Louise has served as a member of Hitachi Ltd.’s Board of Directors since 2015, Pacific Life’s Board of Directors since 2020 and Experian PLC’s Board of Directors since 2022. Additionally, she was named to the Board of Directors of the non-profit Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) in 2021.

Louise holds an undergraduate law degree from Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Northumbria University. She is licensed to practice law in the U.S., England, Wales and Europe.

President, Disneyland Resort

As president of Disneyland Resort, Orange County’s largest employer with over 34,000 Cast Members, Ken Potrock is responsible for all facets of the business, including oversight of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks, three resort hotels and the Downtown Disney District.

Ken has overseen numerous expansion projects during his time at The Happiest Place on Earth, including the opening of Avengers Campus, the reimagining of Mickey’s Toontown, a new Disney Vacation Club Resort at Disneyland Hotel, and the ongoing transformation of Downtown Disney District and Paradise Pier Hotel – soon to be Pixar Place Hotel.

Ken is a 27-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company and its Experiences segment. Most recently, he served as president of Consumer Products Commercialization, the company’s global effort to bring beloved characters, brands and stories to consumers via merchandise, games and publishing through the Disney store, shopDisney and across licensing and retail partners.

For most of his Disney career, Ken has led high brand affinity businesses where consumer loyalty and insights were instrumental to growth and expansion, including Disney Vacation Club, the company’s innovative and fast-growing vacation ownership program, Disney Cruise Line, Golden Oak, a luxury residential community in Walt Disney World Resort, and Adventures by Disney, the company's award-winning guided group travel business.

In 2015, Ken led the dramatic expansion and reimagining of Disney Springs, Walt Disney World's iconic retail, dining, and entertainment district. Previously, he was senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises, where he led the rebranding of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. He began his Disney career in 1995 as vice president, Marketing for Disney Cruise Line, where he helped define and launch the company’s bold entry into the cruise industry.

Ken serves on the boards for Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Visit California.

President, Walt Disney World Resort

Jeff Vahle serves as president of Walt Disney World Resort. A 30-year veteran of the Disney Experiences, Jeff has been inspiring teams around the world to deliver the company’s unrivaled brand of family vacations. Jeff oversees a workforce of more than 77,000 Cast Members at four theme parks and 30 resort hotels all located at the world’s premier vacation destination.

In addition to his duties at Walt Disney World Resort, Jeff oversees Facilities & Operations Services for Disney theme parks worldwide. These teams are responsible for engineering, maintenance, construction, utilities, manufacturing, sourcing and procurement, safety and health, and asset management programs.

Jeff began his Disney career in 1990 and is a respected senior executive who is committed to driving creativity and innovation, exceeding guest expectations and delivering long-term business growth. While at Disney, he held a series of high-profile leadership roles in operations, engineering, technology and global support services.

Jeff most recently served as president of Disney Signature Experiences, leading several key growth businesses including Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, Golden Oak and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa.

At Disney Cruise Line, Jeff was responsible for the award-winning business, including four ships, as well as Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island in the Bahamas) and Disney’s Port Canaveral cruise terminal. Jeff also led Disney Vacation Club, the company’s popular vacation-ownership program. His other responsibilities included Adventures by Disney, the company’s guided group travel business, and Golden Oak, the company’s luxury whole-ownership community of custom homes at Walt Disney World Resort.

Jeff is actively involved in the Central Florida community, currently serving as chairman of the board of directors for Give Kids the World and as a member of the Rollins College Board of Trustees. He previously served on the Central Florida Salvation Army board of directors. Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University and a master’s degree in business administration from Rollins College.

Follow Jeff on Instagram at @jeffvahle.

Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Imagineering

As chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, Bruce Vaughn co-leads the global multidisciplinary team behind the creation of Disney theme parks, attractions, resorts, cruise ships and entertainment experiences. Bruce focuses on innovative ways to transform the company’s extensive collection of beloved franchises, characters and stories, collaborating with peers from across The Walt Disney Company – including Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, as well as Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, and Disney Theatrical Group– to create groundbreaking immersive experiences that delight guests around the world.

In his role, Bruce oversees the innovation pipeline of Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, early creative explorations that are part of our “Blue Sky” process, and concept development – all critical elements as Imagineering embarks on an era of tremendous growth and unprecedented investment across Disney parks and experiences worldwide.

Bruce first joined Imagineering in 1993 as a senior technical specialist and went on to hold several roles of increasing responsibility — including leading WDI Research & Development and, ultimately, executive vice president and co-leader of the entire organization. As a creative leader, Bruce helped bring to life several major projects including Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World Resort, the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland from 2011 to 2013, and Shanghai Disney Resort in 2016 — along with creative concepts and early development for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.

Bruce departed Imagineering in 2016 to serve as CEO and CCO of Dreamscape Immersive, where he led efforts to advance virtual reality technologies. Prior to rejoining Disney in his current role in 2023, he oversaw experiential creative product efforts for Airbnb. Additionally, he taught courses on experience design as a professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television for more than 15 years.

Bruce graduated cum laude from Colgate University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and a minor in art history.