Living the dream
Jay Trinidad has a high-ranking role in the Disney organization, and is thrilled that Filipinos will be able to access the vast and extensive collection of global, regional and Asian language content offered by The Walt Disney Co.’s iconic brands.
JAY Trinidad’s first visit to Disneyland was when he was 3 years old, and like the millions of other children from around the world who have visited the theme park, he was thrilled to see his favorite animated Disney characters come to life. Today, he helps other children enjoy the timeless magic of Disney in his role as senior vice president and general manager of Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) at The Walt Disney Co. in the Asia-Pacific region.
Trinidad joined Disney in August 2020 as general manager of DTC, North Asia. One of his biggest projects to date is overseeing the strategy, marketing and operations for the much-awaited Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar streaming services in the region, which launched in the Philippines on Nov. 17, 2022. “With this new streaming service, Filipinos of all ages will have access to over 1,800 films and 32,000 episodes. The young and young at heart will be able to relive the joy of childhood with new and classic Disney stories. These include ‘Encanto,’ ‘Aladdin,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Frozen’ and ‘The Lion King,’ and their favorite Pixar movies like ‘Lightyear,’ ‘Turning Red’ and ‘Soul,’” he said.
He added that Marvel and Star Wars fans will also be able to stream epic adventures, and K-pop group BTS fans will be delighted with the Korean content under the Star category, which also includes shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Kardashians.” Those who want to learn more about the world around us can also find content from National Geographic. “With all this, I believe our content will resonate powerfully with Filipinos,” Jay said.
Inspiring hope and wonder
Jay, who is in his 40s, shared that he has always been a Disney kid. “I remember watching ‘Beauty and the Beast’ on VHS when I was really young. I have always been drawn to Disney’s heart-warming stories and beloved characters. Having grown up watching films from Walt Disney Animation Studios and reading Marvel comics like Iron Man and Captain America since I was a teenager, I feel so privileged to be working for the organization that inspired me with its incredible storytelling since I was young.”
His favorite Disney film, he revealed, is “The Sword and the Stone,” something he watched when he was 5 years old. “It’s about a poor boy named Arthur who learns the power of love, kindness, knowledge and bravery with the help of a wise wizard named Merlin who believes in the philosophy of ‘Brain over Brawn.’”
“Arthur started off with nothing. However, with hard work, great opportunities and a stroke of luck, he’s able to pull this sword out of a stone and his life changed for the better. This resonated with me as a young kid because it inspired me to take opportunities, overcome challenges and stay hopeful for a better future,” Trinidad added.
He hopes that in his role, he can also help impart hope and other values to the next generation. “Many of the stories produced by The Walt Disney Co., and offered on Disney+, can teach children strong values like ‘good will win over evil’, and ‘if you try hard, you’ll make it.’”
“I think many Filipinos, like me, are romantics and dreamers. They dream of what they can be, and much of our content encourages people to strive to become who they think they can be. I like to believe this is why Filipinos have a strong affinity to The Walt Disney Co.’s storytelling — because our stories inspire hope and wonder,” Trinidad added.
Take time for success
As a Filipino with a high-ranking role in the Disney organization, he said he is proud to be launching the streaming services in the country. “This is an incredibly proud moment for me, personally. I am thrilled that Filipinos will now be able to access the vast and extensive collection of global, regional and Asian language content offered by The Walt Disney Co.’s iconic brands. I feel proud that my job is to introduce these stories to the next generation, bringing joy and happiness to more children, families and fans in the Philippines and across the region.”
With Filipino pride, he said the launching of the streaming services will commence with a musical extravaganza on Disney+ and Disney+’s social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. “A Night of Wonder with Disney+ highlights performances from local artists along with picturesque views of Manila’s iconic landmarks,” Trinidad said.
Before joining Disney
Inspired to work
Jay Trinidad grew up watching films from Walt Disney and reading Marvel comics since he was young, making him feel privileged to work for the organization that inspired him with its incredible storytelling.
Values
“Many of the stories produced by The Walt Disney Co., and offered on Disney+, can teach children strong values like ‘good will win over evil,’ and ‘if you try hard, you’ll make it.’”
I think many Filipinos, like me, are romantics and dreamers. They dream of what they can be, and much of our content encourages people to strive to become who they think they can be.”
What’s precious
“Time is the most precious thing. We all have the same 24 hours. Be careful to make sure you’re spending your time with and on what really matters to you.”
Prior to joining Disney, Trinidad spent over 15 years in technology, consumer and media sectors across the United States and Asia, including eight years in Japan. A graduate from Stanford University and INSEAD Business School, he began his career with Google, where he spent nine years overseeing Asia-Pacific consumer marketing to grow Chrome into the key browser in Asia-Pacific and Google Search into the leading search engine in Japan and Taiwan.
He came to Disney from Fair.com, based in Silicon Valley, where he served as president and chief product officer. An industry veteran, Trinidad has led the development of many successful product and customer strategies.
His role requires him to be “plugged-in,” but he said it is also important to value your downtime. In a prior interview with Japan Times, he shared, “Time is the most precious thing. We all have the same 24 hours. Be careful to make sure you’re spending your time with and on what really matters to you. It seems obvious, but with our hectic lives bombarded by emails, social media and urgent phone calls, it is surprisingly easy to get distracted and spend time on things that are not really important to you.”