Meg Crofton
Former President, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
Board Member, Cracker Barrel, Tupperware & HCA Healthcare
Jeff Hurst
President, Vrbo
Marketing Co-Lead, Expedia Group
2020 was a year no one will ever forget, a year that will forever change how we live our lives, how businesses run and how leaders lead. Particular industries were hit harder than others and forced business leaders to pivot business and people strategy - and to evolve their leadership approach.
We are bringing together amazing business leaders to share their leadership stories of 2020. They come from some of the most well-known companies (Disney, Vrbo) and industries significantly impacted by the events of 2020. They’ll share lessons learned from some of their biggest challenges, how their leadership served them well and instances when they had to adjust or completely pivot their approach.
We’ll touch upon key leadership themes that emerged over the year… and so much more…
Motivation: how does a leader motivate teams when previously set goals are no longer achievable or relevant.
Speed: how does a leader move faster than you’ve ever before, and make decisions with less information.
Obligation of care: how do leaders step up to the challenge of a new level of caring for employees and society at large.
Featured Business Leaders
Meg Crofton is a 35-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company. She retired from her position as president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, U.S. and France in 2015. Meg is currently engaged in board service and serves on the board of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ: CBRL), Tupperware Brands (NYSE: TUP), and HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA). Meg is committed to giving back through volunteer service. She has served as an executive leader on the following boards: Board of Trustees for Rollins College and the University of Central Florida (the second largest university in the United States), the Central Florida Economic Development Commission, the Mayor’s Commission to End Homelessness, the executive committee to build the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts, and the Board of Orlando Health (a $2B not-for-profit hospital system).
Meg earned both her bachelor’s degree in marketing and her MBA from Florida State University. She was inducted into the FSU College of Business Hall of Fame in 2008 and recognized with the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013. Meg and her husband, Rich, now reside in Northern California and she continues her dedication to what she calls her “heart work” -helping leaders realize their full potential. She is a frequent featured speaker on topics such as change management, customer service, employee experience, culture building and digital transformation. She also mentors leaders on strengthening their personal brand, team leadership and interpersonal communications. She encourages them to see that their authentic combination of all of these attributes drives business performance. Meg’s ability to listen and to understand an individual’s unique strengths and potential, in combination with her willingness to share her own leadership stories and lessons learned, offers growth insights for aspiring leaders.
Jeff Hurst serves as Vrbo President and Co-Lead of Expedia Group’s Marketing division which incorporates all of the company’s consumer marketing activity. In this role he is directly responsible for retail analytics and strategy, local marketing and partnerships, Vrbo and Portfolio brands (Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, Carrentals.com, Cheap Tickets, eBookers, Wotif, lastminute.com.au, MrJet).
Most recently Hurst served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Vrbo. Prior to that he was Vrbo’s Chief Commercial Officer managing the division’s global commercial performance, leading the general management teams and overseeing supplier partner success. Hurst joined Vrbo (at the time known as HomeAway) in 2010 as the Global Director of Strategy and Planning and assisted the company in completing a successful IPO in 2011. In 2012 he transitioned to lead HomeAway’s commerce initiatives as the Global VP of e-commerce. He also served as HomeAway’s Chief Strategy Officer, where he helped oversee the company’s sale to Expedia, Inc. Prior to HomeAway, Hurst was a consultant at McKinsey & Company where he worked with consumer brands on corporate strategy, M&A and pricing. Hurst has a master’s degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. As a frequent vacation rental traveler with his wife and two children and a vacation home owner, Hurst cares deeply about the vacation rental industry and applies these experiences to his day-to-day role.