Catherine Powell

Catherine Clare Powell (born in 1967), is a British businesswoman. She is the Global Head of Hosting at Airbnb, having formerly been the President of the Disney Parks, Western Region (where she oversaw Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris). Early career Born in the United Kingdom in 1967, Powell left with her family to live in Hong Kong at the age of 8. She attended boarding school in England (Downe House), before studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Somerville College, Oxford. With the benefit of some previous professional experience in television, Powell joined BBC Worldwide in 1997. Career at Disney Catherine Powell joined The Walt Disney Company in 2004 as creative director, Group Portfolio. She then became executive director of sales at Disney Media Distribution in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and then vice president of the same department, at which point her scope broadened to include Scandinavia, the Benelux, and Israel. Several years later, Powell led the media distribution department for The Walt Disney Company in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She oversaw the conception and implementation of marketing strategies for group’s television channels, such as Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior and ABC News. In June 2014, Powell left Europe to become managing director of the Walt Disney Company in Australia and New Zealand. Based in the Sydney office, she was responsible for the implementation of the company’s strategy, the coordination and management of all departments, supervising international franchise opportunities, the development of existing subsidiaries, and exploring new development possibilities in the region.