Career Path of a Senior Manager Production Finance at Disney
After graduating college, Chris started in public accounting, auditing governmental clients in Los Angeles and Orange County for four years before obtaining their CPA license. This experience led to a production auditor role at Universal Studios, "visiting different production sets, learning about the industry, seeing what they're spending money on," which ultimately transitioned Chris to their current Senior Manager, Production Finance position at The Walt Disney Company, managing shows and working with accountants.
Public Accounting, Film Industry, Production Finance, Auditing, Career Transition
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Chris Kang
Senior Manager, Production Finance
The Walt Disney Company
University of Arizona, 2013
N/A
Accounting
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Finance
Former Foster Youth, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Chris started his career in public accounting, auditing government clients in Los Angeles and Orange County. This provided valuable experience in financial analysis and compliance.
2. He transitioned into the film industry as a production auditor at Universal Studios, gaining hands-on experience on major production sets and learning the specifics of production finance.
3. His career progression demonstrates a path from auditing to production finance management, showcasing the possibility of combining accounting skills with a passion for the entertainment industry.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships before your current role?
After graduating college, I went into public accounting and worked in audit. I mainly started with governmental clients. This involved auditing different counties or cities within Los Angeles and Orange County.
The audits ranged from examining the county or city as a whole to specific major programs within those cities. For example, a city might have a special program for a specific need, earmarking funds to fund this project. As an auditor, I had to ensure the money was spent on allowable costs, specifically related to that project.
I did that for about four years and got my CPA. I had always wanted to get into the film industry, so I found a position at Universal Studios as a production auditor. I didn't know what that was at first. The more I researched and spoke with the recruiter, the more I understood the role.
The position entailed visiting different production sets and working with production and accounting teams. I would go through files and meet with department heads, ensuring everything done met studio standards. This was my first introduction to the production finance world.
That was a really fun position. I enjoyed visiting major production sets, learning about the industry, seeing where money was being spent, and observing how different teams worked. This experience led me to where I am today at ABC TV in production finance. I'm no longer auditing, but I'm managing the shows now. I work with different accountants, so I'm on the other side of being audited.
Advizer Personal Links