Jay Rasulo

• 1. Introduction

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  Jay Rasulo spent nearly three decades inside one of the most complex entertainment empires on earth, and his path from New York to the top of The Walt Disney Company's financial operations ran through Paris, Orlando, and the boardrooms of the federal government. His full name is James A. Rasulo, though he has always gone by Jay. He holds a degree in economics from Columbia University and both an MA in economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Those credentials placed him at Chase Manhattan Bank and the Marriott Corporation before Disney came calling. What drove a banking and hospitality executive into the world of theme parks? And how does someone move from corporate planning to running a struggling French resort and, ultimately, to serving as chief financial officer of one of the largest media companies in the world? Those are the questions this documentary will answer.

• 2. A Career Built Inside Disney

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  Rasulo joined The Walt Disney Company in 1986, entering as a director within Corporate Strategic Planning. It was a deliberate, analytical role, fitting for someone with his economics background. Over the years that followed, he worked his way up to senior vice president, where his focus shifted to Disney's real estate-based businesses. That work gave him grounding in how physical spaces generate revenue, a skill that would prove central to everything that came after. He then spent two years as a senior vice president of Corporate Alliances before moving into Disney Regional Entertainment for three years. Each assignment was a different lens on the same sprawling organization. By the time he left Regional Entertainment, Rasulo had developed a broad operational fluency that positioned him for something much larger.

• 3. Leading Disneyland Paris

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  Euro Disney S.C.A., the company that operates Disneyland Resort Paris, became Rasulo's next assignment. He joined as executive vice president and worked through the ranks, serving as president and chief operating officer before taking over as chairman and CEO of the French resort in 2000. Running a major European theme park required navigating cultural and financial pressures quite different from anything in the United States. The Paris resort had struggled since its opening, and Rasulo's appointment to the top role reflected Disney's confidence in his ability to manage a difficult, high-profile property. His tenure there marked the transition from corporate planner to full operational leader, a shift that set the stage for his return to the American side of the parks business.

• 4. Parks and Resorts Chairman

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  In September 2002, Rasulo was made president of the theme park division, replacing Paul Pressler in that role. Then, in October 2005, he became chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a position he held until December 2009. That four-year stretch covered a period of significant activity for the parks business. The handoff in December 2009 came through a deliberate swap: Rasulo exchanged positions with Thomas O. Staggs, who moved over from the CFO role. The arrangement was unusual, essentially trading two senior executives between the company's two most prominent operating posts. It signaled Disney's confidence in both men and reflected how the company used its executive ranks to develop leaders with broad experience.

• 5. CFO and Public Service

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  As CFO, Rasulo held the senior executive vice president title alongside his financial responsibilities at Disney. His public service work ran in parallel. In 2006 and 2007, he served as national chair for the Travel Industry Association. He also chairs the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, a body established in 2003 to advise the U.S. Department of Commerce on travel policy. He sits on the Department of Homeland Security's Safe Borders / Open Doors Committee as well. On the philanthropic side, he serves on the boards of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the French-American Chamber of Commerce, and the Los Angeles Jobs and Economy Commission. His time as CFO ended on the 30th of June, 2015, when Christine McCarthy was announced as his successor.