Luke Morgan

But for former Keele student Luke Morgan, that dream is a reality, and it is a trip he takes every three months. 

Luke is currently a Senior Manager for Enterprise Consumer Payments at The Walt Disney Company, where he leads Disney’s payment strategy for Disney+ streaming, parks, retail, theatrical and travel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 

He said: “I’ve been at The Walt Disney Company for just over a year now and I’m really enjoying the role. It’s a great job with so much variety and opportunities, and people are always interested in my career when they find out where I work. 

“Card payments have really exploded in the last 10 years in shops, online and through apps and it’s my job to make sure the experience is as seamless and painless as possible for our customers. I would say 40 per cent of my time is spent working on the Disney+ streaming side of operations, which includes new markets like the Middle East and Africa. Europe is generally a very developed region from a payment perspective, but that is not necessarily the case for other parts of the world. 

“A large chunk of our revenue also comes from Disneyland Paris, from online ticket sales, to package stays, and people spending money on food and drink and merchandise at the park, and I visit there every 12 weeks’ to review how things are going. Being able to speak French is also really helpful for that part of the job.  

“Making sure the payment system holds up for big events and new product launches is also an important part of the job, and I also support the Disney Theatrical Group when musicals like Frozen and Lion King are on tour, to make sure they have payment functionality. 

“It’s a real family company and my daughter loves that I work for them. We recently had a company open-door event at our office where staff and families could bring their children to meet the characters from some big shows, and that was nice. Even though my job is quite office based, you really do feel the Disney magic and appreciate what the brand means to people.” 
 
Luke graduated from Keele in 2008 with a degree in Politics, and has also held positions at Mastercard and British Airways, where he was a Senior Manager in payments for the airline. And he looks back on his three years spent in Staffordshire with fond memories. 
 
He said: “I went to sixth form in Belgium and I remember looking at the back of a politics magazine in class, and there was an advert for Keele. It was an aerial photo of the big, green campus and it really caught my attention. I attended an open day and was really impressed by the look and feel of the campus, and had no hesitation in going to Keele.  

“I’m still really close with a big group of people I met at Keele. There’s probably 30 or so of us on a WhatsApp group, and we are still go to weddings and on holiday with each other, which is really nice. I didn’t quite find my feet at school but when I got to Keele I immediately felt a great sense of independence, and really thrived in the environment.  

“During my degree I learnt a lot about European and American politics, and how Governments work. You often hear about people referring to the politics within a company, and my degree has been helpful in understanding that. The courses I did all gave me a good impression on how different regions of the world operate from a cultural point of view, and what has led to them being the way they are, and that has been helpful when I’ve been working with international clients.” 

Career advice 

“A good CV and covering letter will make you stand out and get an interview far more than any grades will. Jobs don’t have to be for life and you can look to move on after a couple of years if you want a new challenge. I would say always combine your job application with reaching out on LinkedIn, and make as many professional connections as you can.”