Gary Marsh

President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide

Gary Marsh is president and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, a role he was promoted to in September 2011.

In this newly created leadership role, Marsh has both strategic business oversight and creative responsibility for Disney's successful and burgeoning global kids TV business, comprising more than 100 kid-driven, family inclusive entertainment channels and feeds which are available in 169 countries and 35 languages. The portfolio spans Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Disney Cinemagic and Hungama brands plus the Radio Disney broadcast and satellite radio network and station group. Its multiplatform strategy includes subscription video-on-demand and the content-rich broadband websites (DisneyChannel.com, DisneyJunior.com, DisneyXD.com and RadioDisney.com). Through a strategic partnership with Disney-ABC-ESPN Television, Disney Channels Worldwide content is also distributed to third party broadcasters around the world.

Reporting in to Marsh is a global executive team representing Original Programming and Production, Disney Television Animation, Radio Disney, Business Affairs, Business Planning and Development, Marketing, Advertising Sales, Worldwide Programming Strategy, Planning and Acquisitions, Casting and Talent Relations for Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD platforms and brands.

Creative content is the driving force of Disney Channels Worldwide, and Marsh is responsible for leading the effort to develop Disney-branded programming for kids and families around the world. He is the executive in charge of Disney Channel's extraordinarily successful original programming slate that includes the Emmy Award-winning hit series "Wizards of Waverly Place" and "Phineas and Ferb," "Hannah Montana," "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," "That's So Raven," "Shake It Up" and "A.N.T. Farm," among many others.

In addition, he oversees the blockbuster Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) franchise, comprising over 80 titles including the smash musical hits "High School Musical" and "High School Musical 2," "Camp Rock" and "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," "Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension" and "The Cheetah Girls" trilogy.

Soundtrack and music sales from the projects and talent that Marsh has developed at Disney Channel have exceeded 50 million units. The quadruple-platinum-selling soundtrack for "High School Musical" (the #1 selling album of 2006) made history as the first ever TV movie soundtrack to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Marsh's team also oversees Disney Junior, the popular programming multiplatform brand for kids age 2-7 which includes the TV series "Jake and the Never Land Pirates," "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and "Handy Manny," among many others.

From 2009-11, he was president, Entertainment and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide. From 2005-09, he was president, Entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide. From 2001-05, Marsh was executive vice president, Original Programming and Production, Disney Channel. He was executive vice president, Original Programming, from 1999-2001, and senior vice president, Original Programming, from 1994-99. He joined Disney Channel in 1988 as executive director, Programming, and was promoted to vice president within months.

Throughout his tenure at Disney Channel, Marsh has supervised projects that have garnered the highest industry and critical acclaim, including multiple Emmys and Humanitas Prizes, plus Peabody, NAMIC, Gabriel, Women in Film, Parents' Choice and New York International Film and Television Festival Awards. He co-created and co-chairs City of Hope's annual Concert for Hope, was an 2005 Honoree of Girls Incorporated, which recognizes industry leaders who are excellent role models for girls and young women, and was named among the 25 "Smartest People in Television" by Entertainment Weekly magazine.

Prior to joining Disney Channel, Marsh was director of Movies and Miniseries at Columbia Pictures Television. He was previously vice president, the Garth Group, a consulting firm in New York City, where he specialized in creating media for political campaigns.

Marsh is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles.

Disney Channels Worldwide is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group.