Zenia Mucha
Zenia Mucha (born 1957) is an American businesswoman who is Chief Brand and Communications Officer at TikTok, after spending 20 years in senior positions at The Walt Disney Company.[1][2][3]
Early life and education
[edit]Mucha was born in Poland to Ukrainian parents who spent time in work camps in Nazi Germany. She immigrated to New York City at age 9. Mucha graduated from the lower East side St. George Ukrainian Catholic School. Mucha studied political science at Brooklyn College.[4]
Career
[edit]Mucha began her professional career in politics, serving as communications director and campaign manager for U.S. Senator Al D'Amato. She took leaves to work on the campaigns of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. She later worked as the director of communications and as an influential senior policy advisor to Governor of New York George Pataki.[5]
Mucha joined the Walt Disney Company in 2001, as Senior Vice President of Communications for the ABC Broadcast Group and the American Broadcasting Company.[6]
Since 2002, Mucha has led communications for all of Disney’s strategic business initiatives including the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm. Under Mucha's leadership, Disney launched D23, the first-ever official Disney fan club, with members in 50 U.S. states and 35 countries.[7]
In July 2021 it was announced that Mucha opted not to renew her $4.9 million contract with Disney, and she left the company in early 2022 after nearly 20 years.[8]
In June 2023 it was announced that Mucha will join TikTok as Chief Brand and Communications Officer. [9]
Awards
[edit]In 2012, Mucha received the Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications. In 2017, she was inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Keegan, Rebecca (7 November 2017). "Critics to Disney: Time to Grow Up". HWD. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Zenia Mucha". The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Chmielewski, Dawn C. (2019-01-11). "Disney CEO Bob Iger's Pay Rises 80% To $65.7 Million". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Sack, Kevin (1995-03-06). "For Pataki, a Gruff Protector; Communications Chief Is Also Influential Adviser". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Casey, Bernadette. "Newsmaker: Zenia Mucha, The Walt Disney Company". www.prweek.com. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Zenia Mucha". www.holmesreport.com. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Bloomberg - Zenia Mucha". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (2021-07-13). "Disney's Brand Protector and Power Behind the Power Is Stepping Down". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
- ^ "Former Disney PR chief Zenia Mucha to head TikTok communications at a pivotal moment". The Los Angeles Times. 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ^ "An Evening with ZENIA MUCHA". Ukrainian Institute of America. 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
