On April 12, 2016 Euro Disney S.C.A. announced that Catherine Powell will succeed Tom Wolber as the next president and oversee operations at Disneyland Paris. According to Karl Holz, president of New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line, Powell has held a variety of senior leadership roles throughout the world for Disney, including in Australia and Europe, and has proven to be an exceptional leader who has the versatility and experience needed to lead the continued success of Disneyland Paris.

So far you must be asking why are we covering Disneyland Paris news on ad Disney Cruise Line Blog? Well, Powell is not just replacing Tom Wolber. Wolber who was once the Senior Vice President of Operations at DCL is returning to Disney Cruise Line following the transition. Anthony Connelly replaced Wolber as COO in 2013 when he became Sr VP at Disney Sports Enterprises and Downtown Disney (Disney Springs).

Wolber will be filling the vacancy left earlier this year when Anthony Connelly  moved over to Imagineering.

Wolber returns at a critical time for Disney Cruise Line as the fleet will be expanding with two additional ships in 2021 and 2023.

“Tom’s knowledge of shipbuilding is unparalleled, as he previously oversaw a number of complex expansion projects including the successful launches of the Disney Wonder, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. We are grateful for his many contributions in Paris and are anxious to have him back at the Cruise Line to oversee our latest expansion.” Karl Holz

Catherine Powell will begin her new assignment in July 2016. In the meantime, Wolber and Powell will transition the responsibilities to ensure continued commitment to the company’s long term strategic priorities.

For more on the announcement check out the Disneyland Paris press release. Special thanks to Spinatmädchen for the alert on this story.