Disney names Louise Pentland Chief Counsel for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products
Former PayPal legal executive will will oversee all legal and regulatory matters for the segment’s businesses, effective September 15
The Walt Disney Company (Disney) has named Louise Pentland, a former legal executive from PayPal, as Chief Counsel for its Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products (DPEP) division, effective September 15, 2023. In this role, Pentland will report to Horacio Gutierrez, Disney's Senior Executive Vice President (EVP), General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. She'll also serve as a strategic advisor to Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of DPEP, and his executive leadership team.
Pentland will oversee all legal and regulatory matters for DPEP’s businesses, including six theme park-resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; an award-winning guided family adventure business; and Disney’s global consumer products operations, which include the world’s leading licensing business across toys, apparel, home goods, digital games and apps; the world’s largest children’s print publisher; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.
Before joining Disney, Pentland served as EVP, Chief Business Affairs and Legal Officer at PayPal, where she oversaw various functions, including People, Legal, Communications, Intellectual Property, Government Relations, and Social Innovation. She also managed financial, regulatory, and legal requirements worldwide and played a role in enhancing PayPal's global reputation.
Prior to her time at PayPal, Pentland served as EVP and Chief Legal Officer at Nokia Corporation, where she led legal and government affairs functions, M&A and IP management, for which her team was recognized as Europe's most innovative in-house legal team by the Financial Times in 2011.
Pentland has been a member of the Boards of Directors of Hitachi Ltd. since 2015, Pacific Life since 2020, and Experian PLC since 2022. She also joined the Board of Directors of the non-profit Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) in 2021.
Louise Pentland holds an undergraduate law degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, and is licensed to practice law in the U.S., England, Wales, and Europe.