Leslie Ferraro

Biography

Leslie Ferraro joined New York University Stern School of Business as an Adjunct Professor of Marketing in 2023. Professor Ferraro is an active speaker at conferences, events, and panels including Pennsylvania Conference for Women, Kellogg Marketing Leadership Summit, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, D23 Expo (Official Disney Fan Club), International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, as well as corporate events, schools, and business organizations and clubs.

Before joining NYU Stern, Leslie served as President and CEO of QVC and HSN (QxH) from 2019 - 2022. In this role, Leslie led Qurate Retail Group’s largest business unit, comprising its QVC® and HSN® brands in the U.S. Leslie was responsible for leading the business unit with approximately $9B in revenue, and advancing QxH’s growth strategies by leveraging the power of video, storytelling, and curated retail experiences across current, new, and next-generation platforms.

Prior to joining Qurate Retail, she spent 18 years at the Walt Disney Company, including as Co-Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media and President, Disney Consumer Products. In this role, Leslie led the $9B Disney Store and Consumer Product businesses, with a global organization that delivered innovative products across multiple toy, book, home, and apparel categories, connecting audiences to the iconic Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel brands.

Prior to Consumer Products, Leslie served as Executive Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer and Global Sales and Travel Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, where she was responsible for driving a wide range of creative, consumer-focused, revenue-driving commercial strategies across the $20B+ worldwide Theme Parks, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Disney Vacation Club, and Disney Institute. In her time with Parks and Resorts, Leslie was instrumental in envisioning the next generation of park experiences around the world and launching new theme parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai and vacations around the globe.

Leslie’s additional experience prior to joining The Walt Disney Company includes work with McCann-Erickson, a world-renowned advertising agency; Johnson & Johnson, a leading global healthcare products company; and, SmithKline Beecham (formerly Sterling Health), global pharmaceutical and healthcare company. Leslie serves on the Board of Directors for Edelman Financial Engines where she has been a board member since 2017. Leslie served on the Board of Directors for Hong Kong Disneyland from 2009 – 2015. She has also been a member of the Board of Directors for Save-A-Lot Food Stores, Smile Doctors, and Global Eagle Entertainment, where she also served on the compensation, audit, and governance committees. Leslie also has and continues to be a board advisor for several private-equity owned companies and new ventures, as well as the Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Marymount High School in Los Angeles, CA (2016-2019).

Leslie earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from George Washington University, her master’s diploma in economics from the London School of Economics, and her MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Courses Taught

• Consumer Behavior
• Entertainment & Media Industries