Catherine Powell

Catherine Clare Powell, born in 1967, is a British businesswoman. She is currently the Présidente of the Euro Disney group.^[1] She joined The Walt Disney Company in 2004, successively holding various management positions in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Before arriving in Paris, Catherine Powell was the Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company in Australia and New Zealand.^[2]

Early career

Born in the United Kingdom in 1967, Powell left with her family to live in Hong Kong at the age of 8. She attended boarding school in England (Downe House),before studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University.

With the benefit of some previous professional experience in television, Powell joined BBC Worldwide^[3] in 1997. For seven years, she held various sales positions there in a number of regions, including Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

Career at Disney

Catherine Powell joined The Walt Disney Company in 2004 as Creative Director, Group Portfolio. She then became Executive Director of sales at Disney Media Distribution in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and then Vice President of the same department, at which point her scope broadened to include Scandinavia, the Benelux, and Israel. Several years later, Powell led the media distribution department for the Walt Disney Company in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She oversaw the conception and implementation of marketing strategies for group’s television channels, such as Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior and ABC News. In June 2014, Powell left Europe to become Managing Director of the Walt Disney Company in Australia and New Zealand. Based in the Sydney office, she was responsible for the implementation of the Company’s strategy, the coordination and management of all departments, supervising international franchise opportunities, the development of existing subsidiaries, and exploring new development possibilities in the region.

In April 2016, Catherine Powell was appointed Présidente of the Euro Disney group, succeeding Tom Wolber in that role with effect from July 2016.

Other activities

She has been a member of the Sydney Opera House Trust since January 2016^[4] and elected member of Chief Executive Women in Australia.

References