2022 MATRIX HONOREE

RITA FERRO

President, Advertising, Disney

As President of Advertising for Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED), Rita Ferro leads advertising sales for The Walt Disney Company’s entertainment, news, sports and kids & family linear, digital TV ad-supported streaming and audio businesses: ABC Entertainment, ABC Daytime and ABC News; Disney Channels Worldwide; Disney+; ESPN Networks and ESPN+; Freeform; FX; Hulu; and National Geographic. She also leads the integrated sales team for Disney Digital, the Company’s online, mobile and social offerings. Additionally, Ferro directs political, and National TV and Regional Ad Sales for ABC’s eight owned local TV stations. She has been in this role since September 2018.

Under her leadership, Disney offers advertisers a one-stop approach to leverage the breadth of Disney’s portfolio and reach audiences across all of the Company’s media properties. Her direction has transformed Disney’s advertising strategy and influenced the industry at large – resulting in a consultative and insights-led sales approach that allows clients to drive maximum growth in their businesses. Across Disney’s robust portfolio of platforms, she champions advanced advertising and data science to push the boundaries of outcomes that marketers and advertisers can achieve in their campaigns.

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Presenting The Matrix Award to Rita Ferro

KELLY RIPA

Host and Executive Producer, “Live with Kelly and Ryan” and Best Selling Author

Kelly Ripa is one of the most powerful voices in media, with a diverse body of work both on and off camera. A household name for more than two decades and a career at ABC spanning over 30 years, Ripa has welcomed viewers with her sharp wit every morning as co-host and executive producer of the award-winning and nationally syndicated ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’ show. During her over 20 year stint as host, Ripa has been honored with six Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Talk Show Host and 15 Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show, with a win in the category in 2012. 

Beginning her career in entertainment as an actress, Ripa’s success spans across numerous celebrated television series playing various roles. First appearing on the soap opera All My Children, where she met her husband Mark Consuelos on set, Ripa earned three Daytime Emmy nominations. Ripa additionally guest-starred on an episode of the hit comedy series Broad City, where her performance, playing an alternate version of her television persona, was met with rave reviews. Ripa also starred in three seasons of the half-hour ABC sitcom Hope & Faith and in 2003, took a turn in TV’s most coveted role, hosting Saturday Night Live.  

Ripa and her husband ventured into the development side of entertainment when they began their NY-based production company, Milojo Productions. Milojo produces and creates content across multiple platforms, working with Bravo, Logo, VH1, E!, CMT, HGTV, WeTV, TLC, Oxygen, ABC Signature, Hulu and Discovery. Additionally, Milojo produced Emmy®-nominated documentary The Streak for ESPN and critically-acclaimed documentary Off The Rez for TLC.  

Ripa has earned numerous accolades over the years, including the prestigious Excellence in Media Award from GLAAD and Glamour’s Woman of the Year Award. She is also consistently recognized by The Hollywood Reporter and has been named as part of its annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 list, as well as the publication’s 35 Most Powerful People in Media. 

In September 2022, Ripa added NY Times best-selling author to her resume, as her collection Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories was published by Dey Street Books. 

Ripa lives in New York City with Mark Consuelos, and together the couple have three children.