At the time of recording, Philippe Gas was the President & General Manager of the Shanghai Disney Resort. Philippe is one of the most charming business leaders I’ve met, and in this interview we talk about his experiences in the five or so years that he has been with Disneyland in Shanghai, from the tail-end of the construction phase to today, where the Resort has been open for around 3 years. Among other things, we talk about how Philippe managed local and international stakeholders, about the Chinese consumer and their tastes on everything from Snow White to Star Wars, and most importantly how the Disney organisation has itself managed to adapt to the needs of the China market. 

Philippe and I recorded this in my apartment in Shanghai, so the sound quality isn’t as good as the interviews that I’ve done in the studio. But I hope it doesn’t distract you from what was otherwise a great conversation.

Philippe Gas’ Object: A photo of Mickey Mouse on the Great Wall of China.

Philippe Gas’ best purchase in China: his Niu electric scooter.

Philippe Gas’ favourite restaurant: Canton Disco at The Edition.

Factoid from Philippe Gas: The five timezones of China before they were combined into just one.

Philippe Gas’ favourite WeChat sticker (1).

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Philippe Gas’ favourite WeChat sticker (2).

(Add @oscar10877 on WeChat to join the Group and see the original sticker)

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