The Walt Disney Co. announced on Thursday that Christine McCarthy, the CFO, will be resigning from her position temporarily to prioritize her family’s medical needs.
Starting from July 1, Kevin Lansberry, a seasoned Disney executive, and the current Executive VP and CFO of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, will assume the role of Interim CFO. The company plans to conduct a thorough search both internally and externally to find a permanent CFO, while McCarthy has graciously agreed to support the transition by serving as a “strategic advisor” during her leave, assisting in the onboarding process for her successor.
“Christine McCarthy is one of the most admired financial executives in America, and her impact on The Walt Disney Company during 23 years of dedicated service cannot be overstated,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. “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. She is stepping down from her CFO role as she takes family medical leave, but has graciously offered to move into an advisory position to assist her successor in assuming the duties she has so expertly handled these many years.”
“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,” added McCarthy. “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.”
During his extensive tenure at Disney Parks, Lansberry has held various leadership positions encompassing finance, business development, alliances, and operations. In 2017, he assumed the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. His responsibilities expanded in 2018 to include Consumer Products as well. In these roles, Lansberry has been accountable for financial planning, fiscal management of domestic and international theme parks and resorts, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, revenue management and analytics, global business development, and Consumer Products.
Lansberry’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Ball State University and a Master of Business Administration from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College.
On the other hand, McCarthy joined Disney in 2000 as Treasurer and later assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer in 2015. Prior to her tenure at Disney, she served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Imperial Bancorp from 1997 to 2000. McCarthy also held various executive roles in finance and planning at First Interstate Bancorp from 1981 to 1996. She holds positions on the Board of Directors of The Procter & Gamble Company and FM Global, and she serves as a trustee of the Carnegie Institution for Science.
McCarthy’s achievements have earned her numerous accolades, including multiple appearances on Treasury & Risk’s “100 Most Influential People in Finance” list. In 2015, she received Treasury Today’s Adam Smith “Woman of the Year” Award, and in 2016, the Entertainment Diversity Council recognized her as one of the “Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment.”
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