Tom Staggs

Co-CEO of Candle Media, Candle Media

Search every verified Tom Staggs interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Tom Staggs, as chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, oversaw the opening of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure in June 2012, describing the expansion as "the big, big piece" of the park's relaunch and stating that it would be "well worth the wait." He also discussed the development of Avatar for Disney's Animal Kingdom, noting that he had spent time with the creative team and that there were "really special things" to come, while declining to reveal specifics at the time. In 2013, Staggs announced the transformation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs, saying the project was inspired by Walt Disney's parents meeting in Central Florida and that the goal was to create a "sense of place" rooted in Disney storytelling. In a 2014 commencement speech at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, Staggs reflected on his career, including his tenure as Disney's CFO at age 37, and emphasized the importance of humility alongside self-confidence. He cited a fortune cookie note carried by former Disney president Frank Wells that read, "Humility is the final achievement." Staggs also addressed the company's acquisition of Pixar, describing it as the result of a "difficult, clear-eyed assessment," and noted the accelerating pace of technological change, saying that "the pace of change will never again be this slow."