Nearly one billion women will enter the global economy in the coming decade. This major shift in the marketplace presents significant opportunities for both female employees and the companies that hire them.
The Walt Disney Company’s global workforce is comprised of more than 50 percent women, and in recent years the Company introduced new leadership development programs that create a strong pipeline of executives, including women, throughout Disney. Disney’s inclusive workplace practices have been recognized by Linkage, which presented its Executive Advocate for Women in Leadership Award to Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Jayne Parker on behalf of Disney at Linkage’s Women in Leadership Institute, which took place earlier this week in Phoenix, Arizona.
Through targeted recruitment efforts and the hiring of the Company’s first-ever Chief Diversity Officer, and with the launch of Disney’s Global Workplace and Women’s Initiative—an executive task force focused on Disney’s global workplace practices and the importance of the role of women in Disney’s marketplace efforts—Disney shows its commitment to advancing women leaders within the Company. And through Disney’s world-class content for kids and families that, in 2015, features strong female role models like Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffins and the title character in Walt Disney Studios’ popular live-action feature film Cinderella, Disney shows that it is a brand that cares deeply about developing women leaders overall. Here at Disney, Employee Resources Groups like Women@Disney and ESPN Women focus on inspiring female employees, providing insights and networking tools they’ll carry with them throughout their careers.
Programs like these demonstrate Disney’s dedication to ensuring that all leaders feel welcome and valued, and we’re proud to be part of a culture that values the importance of the role of women in our business and in our economy.