Theresa Helmer promoted to exec role at Disney Channel to strengthen inclusive storytelling

Disney Channel has promoted Theresa Helmer to the newly created role of Executive Director, Integrated Content Strategy and Development. The position on the senior leadership team was created to accelerate racial and cultural diversity and inclusion in creative content for a global audience of kids age 2-14.

She will report to Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, who made the announcement Friday.

In the new role, Helmer will collaborate with departments across Disney Channels including Consumer Insights, Movie and Series Development, Current Series (short- and long-form), the Educational Resource Group, and Creative Content and Diversity at Disney Television Animation. She will also work with the marketing team to implement an operating model that helps drive the portrayal of underrepresented communities into marketing content.

“Theresa’s unflagging determination, insight and passion have already contributed to enhancing our diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts,” said Marsh. “In this new role as part of the senior leadership team, she’ll have a seat at the table that will allow her to reinforce further how we can authentically showcase underrepresented populations in our storytelling.”

Prior to the new role, Helmer served as Director, Social Media Strategy in Disney Channel’s Marketing group. She joined Disney in 2014 as a social media analyst in the Parks and Resorts division. She was promoted to roles of increasing responsibility, including manager, Platform Strategy and Consumer Insights & Programming at Disney Channel. For the past two years, the Tennessee native was the co-president of Disney’s volunteer Enterprise Business Employee Resource Group, The Bond, which serves as the steward for Black/African American employees and Black consumer interests at the company.