Disney Hires Morgan Stanley Analyst Ben Swinburne as Head of Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations

After 27 years at Morgan Stanley, Benjamin Swinburne has landed a new gig with the Walt Disney Co.

Disney hired Swinburne as executive VP of investor relations and corporate strategy. He will report directly to Disney CFO Hugh Johnston and will join the company “in the near future,” the media company announced Friday. Disney’s investor relations previously have been headed by Carlos A. Gómez, who serves as the Mouse House’s treasurer.

In the newly created role role, Swinburne will lead Disney’s investor relations function, communicating the company’s financial performance and long term strategic vision to institutional investors and retail shareholders, sell-side analysts and other key stakeholders. He will also oversee the company’s long-term strategic planning and market analysis in his corporate strategy role, identifying growth opportunities based on industry trends and evolving entertainment consumption.

“Having spent much of my career analyzing Disney’s performance and long term opportunities, I have a deep appreciation for the company’s creative strengths, operational discipline, and consistent focus on delivering value for shareholders,” Swinburne said in a statement provided by Disney. “It is an incredibly exciting time to be joining the company, and I look forward to working with the team to continue the incredible progress they have made to position Disney for future growth.”

Johnston commented, “Ben has been one of the industry’s most respected media analysts and brings deep insight into the evolving global entertainment landscape,” said Johnston. “His analytical rigor, strategic perspective, and long-standing knowledge of our business and broader industry make him an exceptional addition to our team as we continue to execute against our long term vision and deliver sustained value for our shareholders.”

As Managing Director, Head of US Media and Telecom & Cable Services Research at Morgan Stanley, Swinburne led the equity research coverage of the media and entertainment, advertising, and telecom and cable services industries, areas he has followed for over two decades. He has been consistently ranked among the leading analysts in multiple sectors in a variety of investor polls, including a 2021 induction into the Institutional Investor All-America Research Team Hall of Fame. He joined Morgan Stanley as a research analyst in 1999.

Swinburne earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy with a concentration in finance from Washington and Lee University and a master’s degree in accounting from Babson College.