As president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Spencer oversees all aspects of operations and production.
Spencer joined Disney in July 1990 as a senior business planner in the finance and planning department. He earned promotions to manager of studio planning in 1991 and director of studio planning and finance in 1992. In 1993, he joined Walt Disney Animation Studios as the division’s director of planning, and quickly was promoted to the role of vice president of planning and finance. In 1996, he was elevated to the role of senior vice president of finance and operations for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Theatrical Productions.
Following a move to Disney’s Florida-based animation studio in September 1998, Spencer served as senior vice president and general manager of the Florida Studio, where he oversaw all aspects of operations and production. In 1999, he produced the studio’s second animated feature, Lilo & Stitch. In 2002, Spencer returned to the animation studio in Burbank as executive producer of Meet the Robinsons, overseeing the story development of the project. He then went on to serve as producer on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Bolt and other animated feature films. He began his tenure as president in August 2019.
Spencer has produced six Oscar-nominated feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, including Lilo & Stitch, Bolt, Wreck-It Ralph, and Ralph Breaks the Internet. He received Academy Awards for Zootopia and Encanto, and Producers Guild of America Guild awards for Best Animated film for Zootopia and Wreck-It Ralph.
The Hollywood Reporter ranked Spencer in its class of 1995 among the Next Generation of emerging young executives under the age of 35.
