Design a Media Company Org Chart: Activity for Business & Communications Classes

Hook: Turn real executive moves into a classroom lab for organizational strategy

Students, teachers, and lifelong learners struggle to connect textbook org-chart theory with the messy realities of modern media businesses: frequent executive reshuffles, rapid product pivots, and the rise of AI and global streaming. This classroom exercise uses recent executive moves at Vice Media and Disney+ (late 2025–early 2026) to make that bridge concrete. In one practical, scaffolded activity, learners redesign a media company org chart, justify reporting lines, and propose a growth strategy that reflects 2026 trends.

Why this matters now (the 2026 context)

By 2026 the media landscape is shaped by several structural forces teachers should emphasize:

• Streaming consolidation and global scale: Platforms like Disney+ are reorganizing regional leadership to balance global IP with local production (see promotions in EMEA under content chief Angela Jain).
• Studio and production diversification: Companies such as Vice Media are repositioning from publisher to studio/studio-as-a-service, adding finance and strategy leaders to scale production operations.
• AI and personalization: Generative AI affects content creation, personalization, and rights management, creating new cross-functional roles in Product, Data, and Legal.
• Creator economy and talent partnerships: The line between internal production teams and creator networks continues to blur, requiring new partnership, talent relations, and creator commerce functions.
• Hybrid/matrix structures: A mix of centralized strategy and decentralized creative units (regional or franchise-focused) is emerging as best practice for growth and responsiveness.

Learning objectives (what students will learn)

• Map the connection between corporate strategy and organizational design.
• Define modern executive roles and explain why certain hires (e.g., CFO, EVP Strategy) reshape priorities.
• Design and defend an org chart aligned to growth goals: studio expansion, content diversification, or international scale.
• Practice collaboration, presentation, and evidence-based reasoning using real-world examples.

Case inputs: Vice Media and Disney+ (classroom brief)

Use these short case facts as your primary stimuli:

• Vice Media (early 2026): After restructuring, Vice hired Joe Friedman as CFO and Devak Shah as EVP of Strategy, reporting to CEO Adam Stotsky. The company is shifting from a production-for-hire model to a studio/studio-as-a-service approach.
• Disney+ EMEA (late 2025–early 2026): Angela Jain, as content chief, promoted Lee Mason and Sean Doyle to VPs of Scripted and Unscripted as part of a long-term plan to scale regional originals. Jain emphasized setting the EMEA team up “for long term success in EMEA.”

Activity overview: Redesign a media company org chart (90–180 minutes or multi-week)

This is a flexible exercise you can run in one long class or across several sessions. It combines research, design, and presentation.

Materials

• Whiteboards, sticky notes, or digital tools (Miro, Lucidchart, Google Slides)
• Case brief printouts or a one-page PDF summarizing Vice and Disney+ moves
• Role bank (see below) and sample KPI templates
• Assessment rubric (provided later)

Class time & pacing options

• Single-class sprint (90–120 minutes): Groups sketch org charts, prepare a 5-minute pitch, and submit a one-page rationale.
• Two-class deep dive (180 minutes across two sessions): Research + design session; iteration + final presentation with peer critique.
• Multi-week project: Add interviews, stakeholder role-plays, financial modeling, and hiring roadmaps for 1–3 years.

Group size & roles

• Teams of 3–6 students.
• Suggested student roles inside teams: Project Lead (CEO role), Head of Strategy, Head of Content, Head of Finance/Operations, Head of Product/Tech, Talent & Partnerships lead.

Step-by-step facilitation guide

1. Frame the prompt (10 minutes) — Present the two real-world moves (Vice: CFO & EVP Strategy hires; Disney+: EMEA promotions). Ask students: What business problems do these moves solve?
2. Define strategy (15–30 minutes) — Each team chooses a company direction to design for: (a) pivot to studio services, (b) scale global originals, (c) prioritize creator partnerships & commerce, or (d) product-/platform-led distribution. Teams list 3 strategic priorities and target KPIs.
3. Map essential roles (20–30 minutes) — Using the role bank, teams choose which executive and mid-level roles to include, and sketch reporting lines. Emphasize reporting vs. dotted lines for cross-functional work.
4. Design the org chart (20–40 minutes) — Create a visual org chart. Decide between centralized, decentralized (regional), matrix, or pod-based structures. Include a one-paragraph rationale for each key role.
5. Present & defend (10 minutes per team) — Teams pitch the org chart and growth plan. Class Q&A focuses on trade-offs and alignment with strategy.
6. Reflect & iterate (10–20 minutes) — Peer feedback, instructor notes, and a quick revision round.

Role bank: modern executive and cross-functional roles (with 2026 additions)

Below are concise descriptions teachers can distribute as a worksheet.

• CEO/President — Sets strategy, manages board relations, and makes final resource allocation decisions.
• CFO — Financial planning, capital strategy, and monetization models. (Example: Joe Friedman at Vice.)
• EVP/Head of Strategy — Portfolio decisions, M&A, studio-business model transformation. (Example: Devak Shah at Vice.)
• Chief Content Officer / Head of Studios — Oversees scripted & unscripted pipelines, co-productions, and franchise strategy.
• VP Scripted / VP Unscripted — Regional or global content leaders (example: Lee Mason and Sean Doyle promoted at Disney+ EMEA).
• Head of Product & Engineering — Platform features, personalization, and AI tooling for content workflows.
• Head of Data & Analytics — Audience analytics, recommendation systems, success metrics and A/B testing.
• Head of Creator Partnerships — Manages creator network, revenue share models, and talent development.
• Head of Distribution & Platform Partnerships — Deals with platform licensing, ad partnerships, and aggregator relations.
• Head of Ad Sales & Commercial — Direct-sold advertising, sponsorships, and commerce integrations.
• General Counsel / Head of Rights & IP — Contracting, rights clearance, and AI policy compliance.
• Head of Production Operations — Studio scheduling, vendor management, and production cost control.
• Chief People Officer — Talent strategy, DEI, hybrid work policy, and creative culture.
• Head of Sustainability & Social Impact — Emerging role for responsible production practices (2026 trend).
• AI Ethics & Governance Lead — Ensures responsible AI use in creative workflows and rights handling (2026 addition).

Org-chart templates and structural patterns

Offer students 3 starter templates to modify:

• Centralized Studio Model — Core content, production, and distribution functions report vertically into the CEO. Best for tight brand control and economies of scale.
• Regional Matrix (EMEA-style) — Regional heads (e.g., EMEA) hold P&L responsibility with centralized global functions (Finance, Product, Rights). Useful for global streaming platforms.
• Product-Led Pod (Franchise Squads) — Cross-functional pods (content lead + product + data + bizdev) centered on an IP/franchise. Supports rapid experimentation and creator partnerships.

Discussion prompts & critical trade-offs

• Centralized vs decentralized: When does global brand consistency outweigh local cultural fit?
• Finance & strategy hires: How does adding a CFO or EVP Strategy change prioritization of studio investments vs short-term revenue?
• AI and rights: Where should AI governance live — Legal, Product, or a new centralized ethics team?
• Creator economy: Should creators sit inside Head of Content or a separate Creator Partnerships team?

Assessment rubric (scalable for grades)

Use this compact rubric for a 20–30 point scale.

• Alignment with strategy (6 pts) — Org chart demonstrates clear links to stated strategic priorities and KPIs.
• Role clarity & completeness (5 pts) — Includes modern roles and logical reporting lines; justifies any new positions.
• Creativity & innovation (4 pts) — Introduces fresh structures (pods, matrix), or novel cross-functional roles (AI Ethics).
• Feasibility & cost-awareness (3 pts) — Shows an understanding of resource constraints and hiring sequencing.
• Presentation & defense (2 pts) — Clear pitch and response to Q&A.
• Peer feedback incorporation (Up to 2 bonus pts) — Demonstrates iteration based on critique.

Sample teacher annotations (what to listen for)

• Teams that cite the Vice CFO hire should explain how stronger finance leadership enables capital-intensive studio build-out.
• Teams referencing Disney+ promotions should explain how elevating VPs in regional teams supports local originals and long-term EMEA growth.
• Look for teams that add AI governance and data roles — those reflect 2026 realities of automated content pipelines.

Extensions and graded deliverables

• 1–3 year hiring roadmap with headcount and rough budget.
• Stakeholder map showing dotted-line responsibilities (e.g., Head of Product dotted to Head of Content).
• Scenario simulations: How would the org change if a big content deal fails, or if a creator-first strategy scales rapidly?
• Interview simulation: Students role-play as CEO, CFO, and EVP Strategy negotiating a new acquisition.

“Angela Jain says she wants to set her team up ‘for long term success in EMEA.’” — Use this quote as a prompt to discuss regional strategy vs global product demands.

Actionable takeaways for teachers and students

• Always start from strategy — The best org charts follow the strategy, not the other way around.
• Include modern functional roles — AI governance, Data, Creator Partnerships and Sustainability should appear in any 2026 media org chart.
• Use dotted lines to show cross-functional accountability — They keep org charts realistic and show collaboration channels.
• Practice iteration — Real organizations redesign their charts regularly after executive moves; mirror that in class.

Teacher-ready deliverables (copy-paste templates)

• One-page case brief: Summary of Vice and Disney+ moves + 3 strategic scenarios (studio pivot, global originals, creator commerce).
• Role bank handout (use the Role bank section above).
• Printable rubric and slide template for 5-minute team pitches.

Final reflection: What executive moves reveal about organizational priorities

When a media company hires a CFO or elevates regional VPs, that isn't just personnel change — it's a signal about where investment and attention will flow. Joe Friedman’s CFO role at Vice signals a push toward disciplined financing for studio-scale operations. Promotions at Disney+ EMEA signal a multi-year bet on locally commissioned originals under Angela Jain’s strategy. Teaching students to read these signals and to design org charts that follow them is high-impact, practice-ready learning.

Call to action

Ready to run this in your class? Download the printable role bank, rubric, and slide template from our teacher resources page, run the sprint, and share student org charts with our community for feedback. Try it this week and tag your work with #OrgChartLab to join a peer review exchange. If you want a customizable PDF or an editable Miro board, request the template and we’ll send it your way.

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