Christine McCarthy is stepping down from her role as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at The Walt Disney Co. and taking a family medical leave of absence. Disney veteran Kevin Lansberry, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, will serve as the company’s Interim CFO, effective July 1. McCarthy will continue as a strategic advisor to the company during her leave and will assist with the process of identifying and onboarding a long-term successor to ensure a smooth and successful transition.
Lansberry will serve as Interim CFO while the company searches for a permanent replacement. In his new role, Lansberry will assume oversight of the company’s worldwide finance organization, which includes corporate alliances and partnerships, corporate real estate, corporate strategy and business development, enterprise controllership, enterprise technology, financial planning and analysis, global product and labor standards, global security, investor relations, risk management, tax, and treasury. During his tenure at Disney Parks, Lansberry has held a variety of leadership roles in finance, business development, alliances, and operations. He assumed the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in 2017, which was expanded in 2018 to also include Consumer Products.
“Kevin has been with the company for more than three decades and is a trusted lieutenant to Christine,” says Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Co. “Having expertly served as CFO at our largest business segment since 2017, he has my complete confidence, and I look forward to working with him during this transition.”
McCarthy joined Disney in 2000 as Treasurer and became Chief Financial Officer in 2015. Prior to joining Disney, she was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Imperial Bancorp from 1997 to 2000. She also held various executive positions in finance and planning at First Interstate Bancorp from 1981 to 1996.
“I am immensely grateful for the opportunity Bob provided me to serve as CFO of this iconic company and am proud of the work my talented team has done to position Disney to capitalize on the business possibilities that lie ahead,” McCarthy says. “Although I am leaving the CFO role, I look forward to helping with the transition and will always be rooting for the success of my extended Disney family, who have shown time and again that determination, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence are an unstoppable combination.”
Iger adds, “Christine McCarthy is one of the most admired financial executives in America, and her impact on The Walt Disney Co. during 23 years of dedicated service cannot be overstated. Christine has served as a key strategic anchor during a period of great transformation, and she and I have discussed her desire to ensure an orderly and successful CFO succession in advance of the company’s transition to its next chief executive officer. Among her many contributions to the company, one of the things I admire most about Christine is the generous mentorship she has provided to so many of her colleagues over the years, including countless women. She has opened doors, created opportunities, and served as a role model for women at every level of business — not just at Disney, but around the world.”
