Disney/ABC TV Group Names Two SVPs

Disney/ABC Television Group has named current ABC Research executive Elizabeth Sloan and hired Jane Gould to the newly created positions of senior vice president, consumer insights, for the group’s broadcast/studio and cable teams, respectively. Both will report to Cindy Davis, executive vice president, consumer experience, Disney/ABC Television Group.

Sloan will lead all consumer insights, research and analytics functions across ABC Entertainment, ABC Studios and ABC News.

Gould will oversee all consumer insights, research and analytics functions across the Group’s four cable networks — Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and Freeform — as well as Radio Disney. In addition, she will provide guidance for and collaboration with Research partners at Disney Channels around the world.

Both Sloan and Gould will work to define and execute methodologies that advance Disney/ABC’s understanding of, and engagement with, consumers across all platforms.

In making the announcement, Davis said: “As we cultivate a cutting-edge research discipline, these two roles are critical to positioning our network brands for continued success in an ever-evolving consumer marketplace. Elizabeth is an experienced professional with a proven track record within ABC, and the larger industry. In this new role, she will play an integral  part in our quest to better understand and respond to viewers’ changing behaviors, as well as analyze data about how, when, where and why consumers are watching television.

“Similarly, Jane’s achievements as a groundbreaking researcher, and her strong reputation as a strategic advisor, team-builder and collaborator will prepare us for the future by aligning our greatest strengths with our biggest opportunities.”

Previously, Sloan was VP, research and brand strategy, Disney|ABC Television Group, serving as a key business partner, responsible for informing business decisions with a deep understanding of our consumers. Sloan joined Disney in 2001 as the director of research for ABC Television Network. Previously, Sloan was the director of partnership marketing and research for Launch/Yahoo! Music, and prior to that she held marketing and research positions for Universal Television and CBS/Westinghouse.

Sloan received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Los Angeles. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a marketing minor from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

Gould joins Disney from Viacom Networks. She began working for Viacom’s Nickelodeon in her native Australia in 1999, relocated to its New York headquarters in 2008 and most recently was SVP of research and insights, MTV Group. She will now relocate to Los Angeles.

Previously (2010–14), she was SVP of global brand and consumer insights for Nickelodeon, covering a global perspective in support of Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nick at Nite, Nick.com, addicting games and the Nick App. Prior to that she was VP, brand and consumer insights, Nickelodeon (2008–10).

In Sydney, Australia, she was president and founder of a boutique company Looking Glass Insights (2006–08), after working as the programming, production and research director for Nickelodeon Australia for seven years (1999–2006). At Looking Glass Insights, her clients included ABC Commercial, MTV and Nickelodeon.

Gould earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in child and adolescent development from Macquarie University, Australia, and a bachelor’s in business with an emphasis in statistics, econometrics and research from Queensland University of Technology, Australia.