Walt Disney appoints new country managers for PHL, Indonesia, Thailand

The Walt Disney Company South East Asia on Wednesday said it has appointed Veronica Espinosa-Cabalinan as Philippine manager.

Herry Salim was also named as country manager for Indonesia, and Subha-Orn Rathanamongkolmas (Soupy) for Thailand.

"This new market-led organization will strengthen our local relevance, deepen key partnerships, and accelerate Disney’s digital footprint with some of the world’s most mobile and social consumers in these three countries," said Walt Disney Managing Director Robert Gilby.

“Herry, Veronica and Soupy bring in a deep understanding of our key growth markets in this region. With their experience and leadership, we will further enrich Disney fan engagement with our stories, brands and characters, and drive continued growth across our businesses,” Gilby added.

Country-level focus

The country-level focus will further support Disney’s in-market partnerships, create localized creative content and accelerate fast learning of local trends and opportunities to serve Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar fans, according to the company.

Cabalinan joined the company in 2013 and served as head of consumer products business in the Philippines where she led a team to exceptional growth of Disney’s licensing business and developed key retail partnerships.

She also worked at the Pacific Licensing Studio where she led the consumer products licensing team for a portfolio of licensed brands in the Philippines.

“Our Filipino fans have a special relationship with Disney brands, especially Marvel, and we will further enhance this engagement with innovative digital products and through social media,” Cabalinan said.

Indonesia's Salim worked as the vice president of Household Care for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand for Unilever, where he dedicated 24 years of his life.

On the other hand, Soupy of Thailand was a senior executive in the studio's entertainment business with over two decades of experience working in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Soupy also worked as managing director of the joint venture entity of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Sony Pictures Releasing International in Thailand.

Walt Disney South East Asia noted "the newly appointed country managers will further strengthen local partnerships with broadcasters, telcos, licensees, retailers, multiplex chains and digital media brands to provide best-in-class content tailored for audiences and accelerate opportunities across mobile and social platforms."

They will focus on building brand affinity through fan engagement and drive monetization with a compelling portfolio of content across all Disney businesses, the company said. — Anna Felicia Bajo/VDS, GMA News