Sonia Coleman, formerly vice president of corporate human resources for The Walt Disney Company, was recently promoted to the Disney/ABC Television Group as senior vice president of human resources. In her new position, she is responsible for all employee development, compensation, organizational development, employee relations, diversity, recruitment and employee operations for Disney/ABC’s portfolio of businesses.
As vice president of human resources, Coleman oversaw HR strategy, change management initiatives, organizational development and engagement strategies for Disney’s corporate, enterprise, and cross-functional employees; additionally, she served as the lead HR business partner to the company’s senior corporate executives. She was also responsible for employee relations for The Walt Disney Company.
A seasoned HR professional, Coleman has extensive experience in compensation, learning and organizational development, providing strategic leadership in support of talent management, succession planning, integration strategies, change management, training and development, organizational effectiveness and talent acquisition. She gained this experience not only at Disney, but also at The Children’s Place (acquired by Disney in 2008) and The Home Depot.
“My greatest professional accomplishment was having the opportunity to lead human resources for Disney Stores North America, within the greater Disney Consumer Products & Interactive Media business,” describes Coleman. “It was in that role I felt I could deliver my best work, in part, because I had a strong curiosity about the business. Driving HR strategy to align and drive tangible, positive business results created what I’ll call a ‘perfect harmony.’”
“I didn’t wake up one day and say, ‘I want to be a leader,’” reflects Coleman. “Instead, I knew that I wanted to do great work for dynamic brands and be surrounded by amazing people. Once I knew this, my career and leadership path took shape. I marry my principles of work ethic with encouragement. You’ll often hear me say, ‘You got this!’ And, they have. Then, I offer reinforcement with direction to ensure they have the right lift and trajectory.”
“Diversity is a key business driver,” Coleman acknowledges. “And, for Disney, so is storytelling. We can’t have the best product on the shelf, shows on the air, and movies in theaters, unless we have the right talent to tell stories.”
