Mazloum takes over for D'Amaro to lead Disney's theme parks
Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum will be the new Chairman of Disney Experiences. Mazloum replaces Josh D'Amaro, who will succeed Bob Iger as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company on March 18.
Mazloum has headed Disneyland for the past year, following a run as the President of Disney Signature Experiences, overseeing the Disney Cruise Line and other Disney travel and real estate businesses.
"Thomas Mazloum is an exceptional leader with a genuine appreciation for our cast members and a proven track record of delivering growth," D’Amaro said today. "His focus on service excellence, broad international leadership, and strong connection to the creativity that brings our stories to life make him the right leader to guide Disney Experiences into its next chapter."
A native of Austria, Mazloum started with Disney in 1998 as a hotel director for Disney Cruise Line. He left the company and rose to COO for Crystal Cruise Line before returning to Disney in 2017 as Senior Vice President of Operations at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Mazloum's promotion triggers a cascade of leadership changes across the Disney Experiences segment. Taking over at Disneyland will be Jill Estorino, who has been the President of Disney Parks International.
Disney Consumer Products President Tasia Filippatos will replace Estorino as the new President of Disney Parks International. Meanwhile, Lisa Baldzicki will move up from head of Parks Product Development & Retail for Disney Consumer Products to become the new President of Disney Consumer Products.
"As we look ahead, I have tremendous confidence in Thomas and in the leaders stepping into these roles — Jill, Tasia, and Lisa — along with the incredible leadership team across Disney Experiences," D’Amaro said. "Together, they will continue to build on our momentum around the world, delivering the service, creativity and one-of-a-kind experiences that define Disney."
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Replies (7)
"Mazloum started with Disney in 1998" ... 18 years after Joe Schott ... DISAPPOINTED!
This isn't very good, is it? Wasn't this the guy in charge of DVC? And the drop in quality of the DCL?
The reaction from those in the know and are familiar with Mr. Mazloum is almost universally negative. Most are citing his trimming of DL hours, pulling back of entertainment offerings, and declining food program for why this might not be the best move for the Parks and Experiences Division. I would hope that having D'Amaro, a decidedly parks-focused guy, above him will keep Mazloum in line, but it's concerning to appoint someone to lead a division they don't appear to be completely passionate about.
Mazloum comes from the cruise industry, and did well in helping DCL thrive after the pandemic. He's been at DLR for only one year, during which he has had to clean up what was a bit of a staffing mess following Covid. He is very much a hospitality guy, but also strikes me as deliberate in his approach. That's good over the long run, but not the best way to show immediate results in a new position.
I wonder, in hindsight now, if his appointment to DLR was a crash course in learning the original park to complement his DCL and WDW experience in advance of him taking over the top Experiences job. Or, if it was a final audition for the gig.
Mazloum also is, to my memory, the first non-American to run the parks business for Disney - exemplifying how Experiences has become more global for Disney.
No mater who runs the parks, the best option would be Oriental Company, they are what Di$ney once was.
@OT: No. No they're not. Disney has always been an animation and live action film studio and television company -- later adding the themed entertainment (parks) division. The OLC has pretty much been exclusively travel and tourism (parks). Disney never ("once was") has been limited to theme park development and operations.
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I have never met him, but the one memory I have of him in one of those big meetings was when he was the director of resorts and transportation at WDW. He spent the whole time talking about resorts, and someone asked a question about transportation and he said "oh yeah...that...those people do a good job" and moved on with the meeting.
At the time transportation was getting horrible guest service scores, like the worst of any department at WDW. If you looked at the timing charts (over 20 minute wait for a bus) the charts were like all red.