Ferro managed to successfully integrate ad sales teams across the entire Disney organization, following the company’s acquisition of Fox and full control of Hulu. For the first time, advertisers can access all of Disney’s brands across the entire portfolio in one stop. She also led the launch of in-house creative agency Disney CreativeWorks, which has already developed thousands of pieces of content. Not to mention the expansion of Luminate, Disney’s suite of advanced ad capabilities, to bring new addressable, attribution and automation solutions to the marketplace. As a first-generation Cuban-American, she’s committed to mentoring other women, especially Latinx women, to help them advance. “If every meeting required equal representation of women and people of color in attendance, the outcomes would be more thoughtful and the dialogue more dynamic,” she says.
What is one of your proudest moments during the pandemic? The acknowledgement by our team members that they felt the company and its leadership supported and cared for them and their family’s wellbeing in this unsettling time, even with all of the challenges our company was experiencing.
How has your leadership style changed during the pandemic? Covid has required greater flexibility for all. We are moms, wives, teachers, housekeepers, cooks – all at the same time – while having to continue to work as hard as ever, maybe harder, to ensure the business gets done and we are responsive to our partners.
What is the biggest factor needed to eliminate gender inequality in the workplace? Leadership being intentional about having women in positions of influence and decision-making should be mandatory. Ensuring that women have a seat at the table across all levels of the organization is critical. If every meeting required equal representation of women and people of color in attendance, the outcomes would be more thoughtful and the dialogue more dynamic.
Who is a female celebrity you admire and why? Michelle Obama. She is a mom, wife, successful lawyer, author and public speaker who invests her time and influence to support causes that matter to her and society.
