Bruce Vaughn is returning as chief creative officer to co-lead Walt Disney Imagineering with Barbara Bouza, president of the storied division.
Vaughn has a long history with Imagineering, serving for more than two decades in leadership roles including R&D, as well as co-leading the entire WDI organization as chief creative executive for nine years. He left Disney in 2016 to become CEO and CCO (chief commercial officer) of Los Angeles-based VR firm Dreamscape Immersive, where he worked with teams to advance virtual reality technologies for mainstream location-based entertainment. He was most recently at Airbnb, where he developed and led the Experiential Creative Product team.
“The Walt Disney Company, fueled by thousands of innovators and creative storytellers, has transformed the entertainment industry for the past 100 years,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. “I am proud to have the dynamic team of Barbara Bouza and Bruce Vaughn at the helm of Walt Disney Imagineering as Disney Parks Experiences and Products continues to focus on investing in creativity and developing new experiences around the world.”
Vaughn starts March 20, joining Bouza as part of D’Amaro’s senior leadership team.
“I’ve remained an Imagineer at heart, so I’m thrilled to join Barbara and reunite with this phenomenal global team of creators and innovators during this pivotal time,” said Vaughn.
Imagineering is the research and development arm of Disney, responsible for the creation, design and construction of Disney theme parks and attractions
“With so many exciting projects under way and tremendous opportunities ahead of us, I look forward to partnering with Bruce to fuel creativity and deliver next-level experiences,” said Bouza.