Day 1 Keynote
Barbara Bouza, FAIA
As the president of Walt Disney Imagineering, Barbara Bouza, FAIA, leads the global multidisciplinary team behind the creation of Disney’s theme parks, attractions, resorts, cruise ships, and entertainment experiences. Immersing guests from around world in experiences that make memories of a lifetime, Walt Disney Imagineering embodies innovation, storytelling, and technical expertise to bring Disney’s iconic characters and worlds to life. On June 8, Barbara will share a window into that world—and how Disney Imagineers inspire, push boundaries, and make the impossible possible.
Profile
Barbara Bouza is president of Walt Disney Imagineering, where she heads the global creative, design, and development teams behind Disney’s theme parks, attractions, resort hotels, cruise ships, and retail, dining, and entertainment centers. She also leads a multidisciplinary team tasked with exploring, developing, and bringing to market groundbreaking ideas that enhance and expand Disney’s portfolio of experiences around the world.
Barbara previously served as co-managing director, principal, of Gensler Los Angeles. In this collaborative leadership role, she brought strategic design management to highly innovative clients such as Netflix, Amgen, JPL/NASA, Debbie Allen, and City of Hope. A fellow of The American Institute of Architects (AIA), she was the 2019 AIA Los Angeles president and also served on the board of the Southern California chapter of the International Interior Design Association.
In the community, Barbara was recognized by The Los Angeles Business Journal as Executive of the Year: Women Making a Difference. This honor recognizes women who lead by example, successfully blending effective business vision with passionate commitment to positively making a difference, both in the business world and in the communities they serve. She has also been named by Real Estate Forum magazine as a Woman of Influence: California.
Barbara is on the board of directors of Imagine LA, a leading not-for-profit dedicated to mobilizing the community to end the cycle of family homelessness and poverty and is a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects and the Women Presidents’ Organization. Additionally, she works with nonprofit organizations such as Girls Inc. and Dress for Success.
Barbara holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and studied in the Graduate Diploma Program at the Architectural Association in London.