This year, The Walt Disney Company is celebrating 100 years of storytelling, dreams and innovation. As we approach our centennial celebration, we caught up with three technologists to learn more about how technology at Disney has shaped our foundation as a company and how their teams are continuing the legacy of innovation, once started by Walt Disney himself.
Meet Theresa, Senior Manager of Production & Creative Technology Operation with Enterprise Technology; Brian, Senior Manager of Product Management with Disney Entertainment & ESPN (DE&E) Technology; and Jimmy, Senior Manager of Application Development with Disney Parks, Experiences & Products (DPEP) Technology & Digital.
Day-to-Day Responsibilities
Each day is different for technologists at Disney, whether it be merging the physical and digital worlds of our theme parks to spearheading the latest technology in general entertainment, our technologists are always at the forefront of innovation.
Theresa: I manage IT services for production and creative groups across multiple lines of business at The Walt Disney Company. My clients include Disney Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios, ESPN, Digital Centers, Production Centers, DPEP – Consumer Products, Games and Publishing (CPGP). My organization specializes on providing technology solutions and support tailored to the unique needs of artists, designers, producers, writers and other creative professionals.
Jimmy: My role is a Senior Manager, Technology and Digital, responsible for delivering and sustaining the end-to-end technology and digital solution on a global scale to support DPEP’s CPGP business. Specifically, my focus has been on the financial systems in the Licensing and Publishing domain within CPGP.
Brian: I’m a Senior Manager of Product Management within Disney’s Ads & Data Platforms organization where we’re responsible for pairing the world’s greatest content with a matching viewer-first advertising experience – all while maximizing value for our advertisers. My team’s specific domain is centered around showing the right ads to the right viewers at the right time across Disney’s streaming portfolio.
Legacy of Innovation
From classic animated films to unrivaled theme parks and attractions to innovations in streaming, for nearly 100 years our technologists have been utilizing cutting-edge technology to help immerse audiences in new and stunning experiences.
Theresa: Disney is known for its storytelling prowess. Innovations in filmmaking and content production will remain a focus with advancements in production and post-production techniques to create compelling content. My team is at the frontline evolving with the new technologies introduced to the content creation process ensuring we have the infrastructure and tools to support these emerging technologies.
Jimmy: Walt Disney once said, “I like the impossible because there is less competition.” Innovation has been in the DNA of The Walt Disney Company since day one. The Technology and Digital team are at the forefront of the innovation. We innovate and evolve from two different angles. On the business side, we deliver future-ready solutions that improve data quality, enable data-driven decisions and ultimately deliver value to the business. On the technology side, we embrace cutting-edge technology (Cloud Computing, and AI/ML, etc.) and implement them in our solution to realize the potential that was previously thought to be unattainable.
Brian: It’s clear that streaming has arrived – and with it – the rise of ad-supported streaming platforms. As a result, we’re witnessing a seminal moment in video advertising with an accompanying opportunity to approach advertising as a canvas rather than an afterthought. Our teams within Ads & Data Platforms are doubling down on the promise of engaging ad experiences that venture beyond the traditional TV ad experience. This includes products that differentiate the composition of ads in commercial breaks using Machine Learning-driven algorithms, allowing us to serve different ads to each viewer even when they’re watching the same piece of content. We’re also leveraging controlled ad experiments to question and challenge traditional advertising strategies. With an ambitious roadmap in hand, we’re looking forward to leading the industry in removing tension and aligning incentives between viewers and advertisers.
Next Generation of Storytellers
As a technologist at Disney, there are opportunities to innovate in ways that can only be done at The Walt Disney Company. Here, when next generation technology meets talented people ready to tackle challenges still to be imagined, anything can happen.
Theresa: Working at Disney allows tech talent to be part of creating and enhancing the magic that millions of people around the world experience. Whether it's developing cutting-edge visual effects, creating innovative theme park attractions, or shaping the future of streaming entertainment, Disney offers a chance to be part of storytelling, creativity, and entertainment on a global scale. Tech professionals at Disney have the unique opportunity to collaborate across these various divisions, working alongside creative minds, storytellers, and business experts to create integrated and immersive experiences. The chance to work with iconic brands, create immersive experiences, and collaborate across disciplines sets Disney apart as a distinctive and exciting place to build a career in technology.
Jimmy: The unique opportunity that tech talent can find at Disney is to closely work with the business and see the impact while innovating on the technology side. It is incredibly fulfilling for a technologist to see your work directly translating into business value and results. Disney is the happiest place on earth for tech talent, in my opinion.
Brian: Disney is a unique company given its scale and global reach – we have our entertainment and media businesses including streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, multinational theme parks, our advertising business (should I keep going?). There’s a seemingly unlimited amount of synergy potential among verticals across the company. For example, making effective advertising decisions requires an understanding of its influence on subscribers – and by extension – an understanding of how to promote subscriber growth. Coupled with the various systems and technologies that power these domains and businesses, there’s a staggering breadth of opportunities to explore and frameworks to absorb.
As the next generation of storytellers, we hope you’ll join us as we continue to evolve and grow into the next 100 years. To explore technology career opportunities at Disney, visit our page on Dice. Follow Disney Careers on Facebook and Instagram to hear more about our technology, our employees and how we are aligning technology, content and platforms to deliver world-class, personalized entertainment experiences to consumers around the world.
