Disney Sets Strategy And Executive Structure For New Ad Sales Effort

Disney’s reconstituted advertising sales unit has set details, priorities and the top executive team for its approach to capturing brand dollars in a fast-moving media environment.

Rita Ferro, who recently added ESPN to her portfolio as president of Disney Advertising Sales, said her group would be divided into three distinct divisions: Sales, Client & Brand Solutions and Revenue & Operations. The ad sales group is under Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International umbrella, a newly minted cornerstone of the company, which is preparing to close its $71.3 billion acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox and launch a long-awaited streaming service in 2019.

The announcement of the interconnected series of moves said they would “better serve the evolving needs of advertising clients,” as well as “providing marketers and agencies with a single, integrated organization” for all of Disney’s holdings. The new scheme, Ferro said, “will result in a more efficient and effective way for our clients to do business with us.”

The Sales organization will be led by six senior vice presidents of Ad Sales, each reporting to Ferro. Patricia Betron, Marco Forte, Flora McKiernan, Andrew Messina, Wendell Scott, and Jeremiah Tachna will manage account teams under specific industry verticals, as well as managing dedicated agency teams. Adam Monaco will oversee national TV sales for the eight ABC-owned local TV stations.

Client & Brand Solutions execs will look to give clients insights to help them take action and grow their businesses, as well as offering their expertise on Disney’s brand portfolio. Four teams within Client & Brand Solutions, each of whose leaders will report directly to Ferro, include Wanda Young, senior vice president, Client Solutions – Insights & Creative; Sean Hanrahan, senior vice president, Sports Brand Solutions; Jerry Daniello, senior vice president, Entertainment Brand Solutions; and Zach Chapman, vice president, International Alliances.

Last, but certainly not least, the Revenue & Operations division will be led by Laura Nathanson, executive vice president, Revenue & Operations. Her group will aim to optimize and manage business opportunities and provide marketers with increased scale as viewing behaviors evolve. Key leaders within the Revenue & Sales team include Doug Hochstadt, Travis Howe, James Minnich, Laura Nelson, and James Vanderhoef.

Josh Mattison, vice president, Business Operations, will also report to Ferro and will be responsible for leading strategic initiatives across the organization.