Clark Spencer

Clark Spencer is the president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, overseeing all aspects of studio operations and production, partnering with chief creative officer Jennifer Lee. Spencer is also the producer of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 60th feature film, Encanto. At the 94th Academy Awards, the film has been nominated for Best Animated Feature, while its score and track "Dos Oruguitas" contend for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, respectively.

Prior to beginning his tenure as president in August 2019, Spencer produced five Oscar®-nominated feature films for Disney Animation and received an Academy Award for 2016’s megahit Zootopia. Spencer’s other credits as producer include the hit films Lilo & Stitch, Bolt, Wreck-It Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Spencer has received two Producers Guild of America awards for Best Animated Film for Zootopia and Wreck-It Ralph.

Spencer has served in a variety of top executive capacities for Disney Animation over the past three decades. He joined Disney in July 1990 as a senior business planner in the finance and planning department, earning subsequent promotions to manager of studio planning in 1991 and director of studio planning and finance in 1992.

In 1993, Spencer joined Disney Animation as the division’s director of planning and was quickly promoted to the role of vice president of planning and finance. The Hollywood Reporter ranked Spencer in its class of 1995 among the Next Generation of emerging young executives under the age of 35. In 1996, he was elevated to the role of senior vice president of finance and operations for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Theatrical Productions, a post he held until his 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 production and operations at the studio. In 1999, Spencer was tapped to produce the second animated feature to be made at the Florida studio, the Oscar-nominated feature Lilo & Stitch. The hit movie proved to be a franchise for The Walt Disney Company, spawning three DVD sequels, an animated TV 13 series and characters that are still popular today. In 2002, Spencer returned to the animation studio in Burbank, Calif., as executive producer of Meet the Robinsons, overseeing the story development of the project. He then went on to serve as producer on Disney Animation’s 2008 Oscar-nominated feature Bolt.

A native of Seattle, Wash., Spencer is a 1985 graduate of Harvard University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in history. He spent three years on Wall Street as a financial associate with Bankers Trust Company before returning to Harvard Business School, where he earned his MBA in 1990.