Bettina Buckley

“Over the years, I was part of the live performing side of things, then I transitioned to a technician, and then became a senior producer. It’s a perfect example of the career path a company like Disney provides.”

With a career spanning over four decades, Bettina Buckley currently serves in the capacity of Vice President of Disney Live Entertainment - North America. But her entertainment career began much earlier and has covered every aspect of live show production.

Other than babysitting, Buckley says she has never had a job that wasn’t in the theatre. As her parents were entertainers, her eyes were opened to show business at an early age. However, it would be a family move to Orlando that would pave the way for her to start her career at Walt Disney World. “While I started as a performer, I was always more interested in what was going on backstage,” she said in 2018. Bettina moved into the role of Stage Technician, where she helped launch Illuminations, the EPCOT nighttime spectacular, and countless other live shows.

Bettina contributed to several significant theatrical productions for the Walt Disney Company, including four Super Bowl halftime shows and the debut of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” on Broadway.

After a period of time spent running her own company, producing entertainment for clients around the world, Bettina returned to Disney in 2017 to lead the Walt Disney World Live Entertainment team before expanding her scope to all of North America. With Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, and Disney Cruise Line all under her purview, Bettina leads one of the largest production teams of live shows, spectacles, and entertainment in the world. Today, Buckley’s entertainment team thrives in delivering cutting edge, culturally relevant live entertainment experiences.

Bettina has always been a teacher and mentor, looking to give back to the next generation of talent and truly understands that passion for performing happens at all ages, all economic backgrounds, and in all environments. Colleagues describe Buckley as a strong and resourceful leader who is helping to foster that passion in youth to also train our industry's future talent pool.

As an industry leader, Buckley has served has Co-Chair of SATE 2018, and was named on the Blooloop 50 in 2020.

If there’s anyone who has earned the mantle of TEA Master from the ground up, it’s Bettina Buckley.