With the aid of her army of 75, Finney oversees the mechanisms that support Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming services and global content sales. From leading the team that provides the back-end rights for the launch of D+, Star and Hotstar, to the team that provides rights management and deal valuations for all basic, SVOD, AVOD and syndication deals, Finney is a key strategist and negotiator. And she couldn’t be happier with Disney’s efforts to broaden diversity, including expanded recruiting and manager training. “I’m proud of the meaningful strides we’re making in this area, yet acknowledge that we still have work to do,” she says.
Do you have an example of male allyship that made a difference to you?
I have been extremely lucky to have had many male allies during my career. One long-time boss of mine was absolutely critical to my career development. When I joined his group, he made a point of introducing me personally to each member of his leadership team (even though I was significantly junior to them all) and emphasizing how excited he was to have me join their team. This seemingly small gesture definitely set me up for success as these leaders in turn made it a point to look out for me. He also invested in my development and advocated for me with his superiors when it was time for promotions. I am so grateful to him and to so many of my male colleagues for their support and friendship over the years.
What’s one way your company has broadened the recruiting process to ensure greater diversity?
Ensuring greater diversity in the workplace continues to be a top priority for The Walt Disney Company as a whole and also a very personal one for me and my team. I’m proud of the meaningful strides we’re making in this area, yet acknowledge that we still have work to do. As part of our continued commitment towards this goal, Disney has instituted additional recruiting practices in order to reach the most diverse candidate pool and we’re training and equipping our managers with all the necessary resources for successful hiring as well as ongoing effective team development.
