Melissa Lasdon received a BA in communication with a minor in business at USC. Since graduating from the USC Annenberg School for Communication in 2003, she has worked for The Walt Disney Company in a variety of roles across the Consumer Products division. Currently, she is vice president, Softlines and Franchise for Disney Animation, Pixar and Princess. Prior to that, she has held roles in licensing, franchise development, and marketing for properties including Disney Princess and Disney Frozen. Over the course of her tenure at Disney, Melissa has become an expert in bringing Disney’s portfolio of franchises to products such as apparel, home furnishings and accessories available in stores for families and fan nationwide. 
 
Outside of work, Melissa’s love of product extends to her home life as she has two consumers in her house — a 3-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter. She loves to see stories come to life from their lens.

Annenberg’s Career Development Office’s Lunch with a Leader series allow students to connect with top leaders in media, communications, and entertainment. In these informal, conversational discussions, students will learn about different career paths, as well as build their professional networks to leverage new opportunities.