Disney has brought in marketing executive Star Destroyer after Asad Ayaz was promoted to the position of chief marketing and brand officer earlier this month.
In a memo to Disney staff, Ayaz outlined the structure of the marketing group, which currently directs all departments within the company. We also confirmed the creation of an Enterprise Marketing team, focused on maintaining a global perspective across all of Disney’s marketing activities and designed to foster greater collaboration between functional groups.
Collectively, Ayaz’s group represents the largest collection of marketing capabilities Hollywood has ever seen, from theme parks and experiences to film and television, to a research and technology division that powers the audience development, subscriber acquisition and data analysis tools marketers rely on to drive future growth.
“We will emerge as one unified storytelling brand across our flywheel, including movies, TV, streaming, parks, experiences and sports, in line with how consumers experience the company today. We will engage with consumers when and where they want and in better ways, allowing them to seamlessly and intuitively connect with our characters, stories, products and experiences,” Ayaz wrote.
The memo reaffirms key details announced on January 14 when Ayaz was promoted to the company’s first chief marketing and brand officer position. Ayaz details his vision for the team responsible for operating its own segments, but now focused on collaboration, data sharing and long-term planning for franchises across many mediums. It was not immediately clear whether the newly created structure would result in layoffs or large-scale transfers of staff members below the leaders named in the memo.
“We will continue to lead the industry in collaboration with brands, influencers and creative partners, grow our presence across Disney, maximize the value of every relationship, and leverage our scale and brand power to outperform our competitors,” said Ayaz. “We amplify what’s working and dynamically respond to changes in the market. We use data as a differentiator to make informed decisions and leverage technology to eliminate friction, reduce complexity, and improve the experience for our teams.”
The memo highlights the company’s top five marketing executives, who have dual reporting to Ayaz and department heads.
Ron Farris (Disney Consumer Products) Scott Hudgins (Disney Experience) Martha Morrison (Disney Entertainment Studios) Shannon Ryan (Disney Entertainment Television, Disney+ & Hulu) Tina Thornton (ESPN)
Working hand in hand with this group is a new Enterprise team. “These leaders and their teams will work closely with our sector and international marketing departments to deliver scale, modern processes, resource flexibility, and innovation that drives impact,” Ayaz wrote. “These capabilities will consist of subject matter experts and specialized segment resources as needed.”
According to Ayaz’s notes:
Brands and Franchises – Joanna Balikian will lead the strategy and execution of enterprise brand campaigns and synergy initiatives, oversee corporate brand priorities and governance, and drive fan engagement strategies that strengthen overall audience affinity. Corporate Alliances – Becca Vodnoy will continue in her role shaping Disney’s global partner and promotional strategies, building and expanding high-value relationships with partners and creators, and expanding the reach and influence of the Disney brand. Creative Execution – Carrie Brzezinski Hsu will lead Disney’s new creative production ecosystem and integrate creative agencies across segments. She will partner with our segment creative team to ensure all assets reflect the company’s creative excellence and brand standards, while coordinating high-quality, high-velocity campaign delivery that delivers impact at scale. In addition, she will continue to oversee ESPN’s creative studio while taking on dual responsibilities for Tina Thornton. Media – Kimberly Flaster will assume a new role shaping and leading an integrated media investment strategy that leverages cross-channel buying, advanced optimization, and data-driven decision-making to maximize impact and ROI. This function includes media strategy and planning, with dual reporting for each segment’s marketing leaders and trade desk operations. Research and Insights – Andrew Ferguson will lead consumer and brand intelligence across the enterprise, along with marketing, brand and franchise performance research. From audience response testing to end-to-end campaign measurement, his team guides campaign research and delivers insights that shape strategy, enhance storytelling, and drive informed decision-making across the enterprise. Research specific to operational and business strategies will continue to be reported in each segment.
There is one unresolved role for leaders who oversee marketing operations and technology. The memo said the job will include building and overseeing “the systems, processes, and tools that power modern data-driven marketing: standardizing key KPIs and reporting, enabling advanced analytics, and end-to-end campaign operations.”
(Photo: Disney Marketing Leaders Ron Farris, Scott Hudgins, Martha Morrison, Shannon Ryan, and Tina Thornton)
Further in the future
