Disney Corporate Strategy vs. McK/BCG/Bain
I'm new to this forum (in the posting sense - been reading it for a while), and was hoping I could get some advice. I have a friend that just got a job at Disney's Corp Strategy group and seems pretty excited about it. I have been pretty interested in Technology and Media myself for a while, but was planning on originally entering consulting to figure out what I wanted to do (I'm currently a junior thinking about career opportunities for next year). The disney job seems pretty exclusive and do some interesting work (Strategy & M&A work in Media). I wanted to see if you guys knew anything about the opportunity and how it stacks up against other opportunities in the consulting space such as McK/BCG/Bain. I'm not interested in doing banking because I don't want to do pure finance and am also not interested in working over 80 hours a week. Your opinions would be great, thanks.
In terms of prestige and selectivity, Disney corp strat is comparable to MBB. Exit opps are top notch from both options as well. A lot of the day to day work is similar, but with MBB, you get a broader exposure to different companies and industries, whereas at Disney all of the work is internal and media-focused. With Disney, you also get experience with M&A deals, perhaps not as much as a pure banker would, but much more than consultants do, which is helpful for getting into PE later on.
For undergrads, I'd recommend MBB to get a broader range of exposure before specializing in a specific industry. But if you already know you want to focus on media, Disney's certainly a great option.
Don't talk about what you don't know.
If you go to Disney, you will get stigmatized for buy-side recruiting, period (especially compared to MBB). I don't know about Disney specifically, but the internal corp strat groups are generally pretty top-notch (in terms of output quality, expectations, training, mentoring, etc.) - definitely a comparable "work" experience to MBB. Comp is similar/slightly lower, hours are better.
However, I think the MBB experience is much more valuable initially (even if you know you want to specialize in media). Aside from the brand name, you learn quite a bit on the soft skills that you simply don't get anywhere else.
I thought Disney had done away with the Corp. Strategy program when the canned Eisner, no? If not, then its very legit, I've heard of it as an exit opp from McK.
No its still there, they scaled it down a bit (numbers wise), but they basically do the same M&A and strategy work. Also the name changed from Disney Strategic Planning Group to Disney Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Technology
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I don't understand what the Stigma would be for buy-side recruiting? Is that looked down upon?
Also regarding variety, although I am far from 2-3 years of consulting breadth, I have had internships in the tech industry, banking and consulting, so I have a general sense of what each of those industries do, so variety for the sake of variety is not as much of a concern for me.
@ideating I personally know 2 current analysts in Disney corp strat, as well as 3 former analysts, one of whom is at a mega-cap PE fund. Disney's very well-regarded and places very well to the buy-side because its analysts get significant M&A experience. In any case, we seem to be recommending the same thing - for undergrads, MBB is generally better because it gives a broader range of exposure and skill development.
@ews09 Thanks for the tips. Of the other analysts you know, do you where they currently are/what their exit opps are?
Of the other two I know, one is at a MM tech PE firm, and the other's at a startup.
I also saw that one of the MD's at Bain Capital (and I think head of a group) is a former Disney strategic planning group alum as well
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/colin-campbell/7/a0a/a45
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I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. I'd pick MBB over Disney, but if you think you want to be in media sector for the long run and/or like the people in Disney better then it might be a better choice for you.
Yeah, I think in the end it seems that it always comes down to preference and how well you get along with the people.
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What other corporate strategy groups (that recruit out of undergrad) are on Disney's level?
Is AmEx SPG as good? Any others?
Just checking up on this thread again, anyone else have any thoughts or experiences related to Disney's Corporate Strategy Group?
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Can anybody else contribute to this thread?
bump
headhunters from Disney Corp Strategy often send hiring emails to consultants at MBB. Don't personally know much about the Disney position, but will say that it is well-regarded for business dev and corp strategy.
Is the disney corporate strat internship for undergraduates?
Can anyone that is familiar (even marginally) comment on the reputation of this group (Disney Corporate Strategy), in particular bschool placement and exit opportunities?
Read the fucking thread.
"In terms of prestige and selectivity, Disney corp strat is comparable to MBB. Exit opps are top notch from both options as well."
Hey. I would like to be an executive of a media company, however I want to start with consulting. In terms of pay, which is better, Disney or mck
Hi,
I know this thread is a little old, but grateful to anyone who has any updated views on a senior analyst position with in this corp strategy function?
What level is a senior analyst compared to IB? Are the exit opportunities still good?
Thanks!
Interested as well (re: senior analyst)
Bump. Also interested.
Though admittedly I'm a bit more interested in going tier 2 consulting > Disney Corp Strat.
This is kind of confusing, do you think that getting into Disney Corp Strat would be easier or do you just like tier 2 consulting better, because these two things are not even in the same league.
I'm going to throw in my 2 cents and guess that he meant the ">" as a directional arrow implying moving to Disney Strategy after a stint at a Tier 2 firm, as opposed to a greater than symbol implying preference.
Regardless, interested in more information on the group as well post-MBB.
Disney corporate strategy --> Get a part in the new Star Wars movie
Choice is clear
yup
Curious what people’s thoughts are on the Corp Strat group now, post reorganization with Mayer heading the new DTC segment
Specifically - on its current reputation and potential exit opps?
Under Eisner Disney Strategic Planning tried to brand itself alongside the top consulting firms (mbbb to date myself) at the time. Since then they’ve gone through a roller coaster of reorganization. Today I would put the mbb experience and reputation above Disney Corp Strat or whatever they are calling themselves. The exit opportunities to media or gaming from MBB are just as good. (This is from personal experience both as an applicant and as someone who hires) I also wouldn’t place disney corp strat above business unit strat or bus dev if you are sure media is your final destination. You get a lot more ownership and are closer to how film, tv, or whatever your interest is in.
I think MBB has better rep and exit but honestly Disney has very good reputation among MBAs in terms of fulfillment and general happiness, etc.
Do you like turning kids gay?
Lmaooo +1
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