James Filippatos from The Walt Disney Company talks about how the company intersects with public policy and why it supports Public Policy New Voices Europe
James Filippatos is Vice President for Global Public Policy at The Walt Disney Company, partner of Salzburg Global Seminar’s Public Policy New Voices Europe: Public Policy Innovations for Inclusive Communities program that took place this October. We asked James a few questions about Disney’s interactions with public policy and why Disney decided to support this program.
Douglas Leung (Communications Impact Fellow at Salzburg Global Seminar): Why does Disney invest?
James Filippatos: “The Legal and Global Public Policy teams at The Walt Disney Company thought about where we could really make an impact, a substantive impact, on the policy space in the ways that we thought were important. We thought that we ought to contribute to developing a pipeline-type program where there was a real focus on mentoring, networking…just concrete, substantive skills for young people who wanted to get into the policy space from all different perspectives.”
“Because what we were seeing was that in the policy space where the different perspectives were lacking, there were obvious disparate impacts, bad outcomes. Where different perspectives and different voices were being heard in a positive way, open way, we would see better outcomes.”
DL: Can you explain how Disney, known for its work in the entertainment industry, intersects with public policy?
JF: “One thing that many people might not realize is just how diversified and global Disney is as a company. So, within the media and entertainment space, we have films and TV which you know about. We're also a news organization with ABC News. We are very big in sports, with ESPN, ABC Sports and so forth. And we have physical businesses with our parks and resorts around the world, our cruise ships and products, mostly licensed products that consumers buy.”
“And so, with so many touchpoints across so many different sectors and so many different markets – because our brand has always been very global and our businesses are also very global, operating in markets in every region around the world – the touchpoints with policy are many.”
“So, we have to think about human rights across all those businesses. We have to think about supply chain related issues. We have to think about media policy, digital policy. We have to think about cultural policies. And of course then, things like the pandemic where health policy was and remains an important priority for us. So, there are many, many touchpoints that aren't necessarily expected.”
DL: On the topic of business, why do you think other companies should invest in and fund programs like Public Policy New Voices Europe?
JF: “I think that everybody needs the kind of policy professionals that we're mentoring and developing through Public Policy New Voices Europe. And it benefits every company to have that kind of better policy environment. We just keep going back to that fundamental principle that bringing in the diverse perspectives leads to better policy outcomes. That applies to every sector, every company, every government, every society. And so, I think every company ought to be thinking about this.”
“It's long-term thinking because you need to invest now to see benefits down the road. It's not easy to demonstrate that need to everybody. But I think it's the right answer.”
DL: What is the most important factor in deciding whether to invest in a program like this?
JF: “For us, the partners are always the most, I think, important factor. So, having a partner that is well-aligned with Disney's values, Disney’s vision, and being able to keep that consistency, I think, is the most critical element.”
“And we've definitely found that with Salzburg Global Seminar. From the first conversation, we saw that there was real alignment in approach, in values and in vision. So, the fit has been exceptional.”
To find out more about Public Policy New Voices Europe, click here.
