At Disney, we are committed to celebrating an inclusive, respectful world. Our technologists are behind creating authentic and unforgettable experiences and products for the stories and characters that capture the imagination of our global audiences. We’re thrilled to introduce three technologists from across the company who are committed to creating a world of belonging while innovating in ways never done before.

Meet Nancy (she/her), Director, Licensing Financial Systems with Disney Parks, Experiences & Products (DPEP) Technology & Digital; Shivani (she/her), Data Scientist with Disney Entertainment & ESPN (DE&E) Technology; and Maria (they/she), Software Engineer with Enterprise Technology.

A Day-in-the-Life

Our technologists are at the forefront of innovation each day. They are constantly elevating, evolving and pioneering the future of our theme parks, streaming platforms, films and more to always be one-step ahead when creating the latest in immersive entertainment experiences. Discover what a day-in-the-life looks like for Nancy, Shivani and Maria.

Nancy: I’m a Director of Licensing Financial Systems. Disney is the world’s largest Licensor surpassing its closest competitor by double the retail revenue. Our financial systems serve as the backbone for various applications that facilitate the licensing process, including contract management, royalty calculations and financial reporting. These applications are not only used internally by Disney but also include a self-service portal made available to our global network of licensees. This ensures transparency, accuracy and efficiency in our licensing operations on a global scale. My team spans across all four regions at Disney, providing a network of technology and support expertise, providing faster and more efficient results as there is no cultural or language barriers.

Shivani: I’m a data scientist on the Platform Software Engineering team. My responsibilities include analyzing interactions between ESPN consumers and content by conducting A/B testing experimentation, creating Tableau dashboards and running Machine Learning models.

Maria: I am a software engineer on the cloud and data transformation engineering team. I work on the baseline team, focusing on the application cloud accounts manager. I work on the UI portion of the application.

Growing as a Technologist

At Disney, we create magic not only for our guests and consumers, but also for the world around us. From Business Employee Resource Groups to Conferences and VoluntEARing events, our technologists can be involved in a myriad of functions and have access to a plethora of resources dedicated to career growth, inclusion and much more that inspire and drive them into the next chapters of their careers.

Nancy: From early in my career at Disney, I have been fortunate enough with opportunities to launch programs which focus on our global workplace practices and the importance of the role of women in our business and technology. In 2011, I launched Women In Studio Technology (WIST) with sponsorship from the Studio’s CTO and HR, encouraging women in technology to move out of their comfort zone and pursue their career growth. In 2013, I collaborated with focus groups and Studio leaders to launch Women@Disney (W@D). As a follow up, in 2017, W@D launched the Lean-In Circle pilot program. I created and moderated the circle, Agents of C.H.A.N.G.E., which focuses on the opportunities and challenges women experience as in often, they are the only the only woman at the table, on the video call, or on their team. As of today, Agents of C.H.A.N.G.E. is one of the longest running Lean-In Circles at Disney.

Shivani: I was fortunate enough to be hired for this position when I attended the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) of Women in Computing in 2019 as a student. Two of my coworkers were hired through GHC as well! My team is majority female, which is groundbreaking to me. I have never seen this happen before in my undergrad experience at a tech school or my internships at other companies, so I’m happy to see Disney push for a more balanced workplace. Disney also has specific internal channels for women in tech, where meetings and panels are hosted on a regular basis, giving everyone a chance to learn from the experts. It’s inspiring to see people who look like me in higher level positions making a difference. I hope to be a part of that in proving that minorities in tech can succeed, thrive, lead and open pathways to others.

Maria: My first internship was with Disney in the summer of 2021. The team I was on gave me an opportunity, knowing I lacked the programming experience and was formerly incarcerated. Having a criminal background closes many doors, but by giving me a chance, I gained the work experience, and confidence, to become a software engineer and see myself as one. Currently, the team I am on has never made me feel inadequate when needing extra help understanding a concept or guiding me to develop a solution. During a one-on-one with a leader, I was asked where I saw myself in five years, and I told him I wanted to become a manager. He then encouraged me to pursue an MBA and work on becoming a senior software engineer. I never saw myself going back to pursue a master's degree if it was not for people like him believing in me.

Why Technology at Disney?

As a technologist at Disney, there are opportunities to innovate in ways never done before. We are setting the standard for what is possible when it comes to cutting-edge ideas and storytelling with technology.

Nancy: Disney combines cutting-edge technology with storytelling magic, offering our employees the opportunity to work at the intersection of creativity and innovation. I started my career with the Studio and after eight years, joined our Consumer Products team. The opportunities to expand your career across various lines of business and explore the technology that drives each of these areas is why I work for Disney. Disney is also a leader in creating immersive theme park attractions, experiences and allowing its employees to develop groundbreaking entertainment technologies. With platforms like Disney+ and Hulu, employees can contribute to the growth of streaming, develop content delivery systems as well as personalized user experiences. Disney also leverages data analytics to understand consumer buying trends and audience preferences to optimize content and marketing efforts, providing our employees a unique opportunity to leverage new technologies to increase revenue. These opportunities are global and blend technology expertise with Disney's iconic storytelling, making it a distinctive and rewarding career choice.

Shivani: Working in Technology at Disney provided me with a well-rounded learning experience that other companies might not necessarily offer. Despite being in tech, I have met with, and learned from, people working in industrial engineering, animation, research, Imagineering and so on. Technology is a necessary component of every department and the opportunity for knowledge sharing is infinite. I hope that cross-team and cross-department knowledge sharing becomes more and more common for the company as Disney is the best place for that.

Maria: There are many opportunities for individuals to grow within the company. They have a program called Disney Aspire for individuals to pursue a bachelor's or master's degree. There are spaces or groups in the company such as BERGs for employees to join and volunteering opportunities through VoluntEARS, but what I like most about the company is the family atmosphere.

To explore technology career opportunities at Disney, visit our page on Dice. Follow Disney Careers on Facebook and Instagram to hear more about our technology, our employees and how we are aligning technology, content and platforms to deliver world-class, personalized entertainment experiences to consumers around the world.