#UKPR19 MEMORANDUM

The 2019 Global Public Relations Study Abroad Program in London

TO: All #UKPR19 Students
FROM: Alexandra Tubell
SUBJECT: Disney's Matthew Grossman, Disney EMEA Head of Communication and
Citizenship
DATE: January 2, 2019

Introduction: Walt Disney Company EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) has been a key
player in family entertainment for over 80 years. The Disney brand as a whole is dedicated to
providing entertainment on screen, on stage, in film, and through their world-famous amusement
parks. Their goal is to build relationships and trust through their branding and their characters.
They seek to bring entertainment that is local and relevant to their audiences keeping in mind
their global strategy of ‘Creativity, Innovation, & International growth’. The Walt Disney
Company EMEA operates businesses over 46 markets and has a presence in 24 countries, where
they employ over 5,000 people. Through all of this, they are able to reach families and audiences
in over 100 countries. Disney even holds the title of Europe’s number one tourist destination
with Disneyland Paris, which opened in 1992.

The basics:
 Locations throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
 5,000+ employees
 16,000+ additional employees at Disneyland Paris
 80+ years in business
 $7.3B revenue

Significant accounts:
 Pixar
 Marvel
 Star Wars
 ESPN
 ABC Studios

Key players:
 Rebecca Campbell – President, The Walt Disney Company EMEA
 Simon Bailey – CFO, The Walt Disney Company EMEA
 Daniel Bamsey – Head of Technology, The Walt Disney Company EMEA
 Tony Chambers – Head of Studio Sales & Distribution, The Walt Disney Company
EMEA
 Hernan Estrada – Head of Corporate Strategy & Business Development, The Walt
Disney Company EMEA
 Matthew Grossman – Head of Communications & Citizenship, EMEA & General
Manger, Disney Healthy Living, The Walt Disney Company EMEA
Matthew Grossman: Grossman is the Vice President of Corporate Communications and
Publicity and Corporate Citizenship. Grossman’s job is to maintain Disney’s brand and public
profile, he also handles product publicity, consumer products and interactive media businesses,
and also handles crises communications.
Grossman also oversees Disney Healthy Living where he gets to showcase his storytelling
abilities and imagination to promote living a healthy lifestyle. Disney says that this campaign
brings together all aspects of their mission, as well as their marketing and communication so that
they can build societal and brand value for Disney.
Prior to working for Disney, Grossman worked for Edelman as Senior Vice President, Digital
Entertainment, Rights and Technology, leading corporate communications, analyst and media
relations and integrated public awareness programs for entertainment and technology companies.
Grossman has an MBA from the Anderson School of Business at UCLA and a Bachelor’s of
Arts in Film/Video from Middlebury College.

Conclusion: With such a huge global presence, Disney has many jobs that need to be filled,
especially within the communication field to maintain their brand. Grossman’s job allows him to
wear many hats while working for The Walt Disney Company EMEA while he works to
maintain a loyal and trustworthy relationship with Disney’s audience.

Questions:
 What is it like to oversee a company’s reputation that has such a huge household
presence?
 What has it been like to work in corporate communications and what attracted you to that
type of work?
 What is it like to handle communication on a global level?
 What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
 Do you find that you use what you learned throughout your educational experience a lot
in your different jobs?
 What does your typical day at work look like?