Catherine Powell

Catherine Powell is a British business executive with a career spanning major hospitality and entertainment brands. Before joining The Walt Disney Company, Powell held various roles at BBC Worldwide. At Disney, she served in multiple leadership positions, including President of Disney Parks Western Region and Présidente of Disneyland Paris. Powell advanced from executive director of sales to vice president of media distribution, overseeing marketing strategies for Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, and ABC News across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Her responsibilities included driving growth and identifying new revenue and cost opportunities within the global entertainment and hospitality sectors.

Powell later joined Airbnb as Head of Airbnb Experiences, which offers activities such as tours and events through the Airbnb platform, and was subsequently promoted to Global Head of Hosting. In this role, she managed Airbnb's community of more than 4 million hosts, focusing on host engagement and platform innovation. During significant industry disruptions, Powell led initiatives to support hosts and enhance guest experiences, drawing on her background in hospitality management and guest services.

At Airbnb, Powell also served as executive sponsor for Airbnb.org, facilitating collaboration between the nonprofit and the company to provide emergency stays for individuals in crisis, including refugees and people affected by natural disasters. She joined the board of Airbnb.org to further support emergency housing initiatives, such as providing accommodations for Ukrainian refugees. Powell has advocated for accessible and inclusive travel, championing programs like Airbnb's Adapted category, which features homes with verified wheelchair access.

Powell became President of AmaWaterways, a river cruise company operating 31 custom-designed ships across Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, Egypt, and Colombia. She later assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer, focusing on leadership, guest experience, and the evolution of luxury travel. Powell holds a Master of Arts in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University.