Stacey Snider is the only woman to have run two major movie studios in Hollywood. In 1985 she began her career in movie production by working in the mailroom of the Triad Agency. By 1992 Snider was the highest-ranking female executive at a Hollywood studio when she was named President of Production at Tri Star. Known for taking a hands-on approach to a project, carefully shepherding it through each stage, while also maintaining an eye on business operations, Snider quickly became a well-respected figure in the film industry.
Most recently, Snider served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Twentieth Century Fox Film, overseeing all areas of the studio, including its five production divisions, global marketing, distribution, and home entertainment. During her tenure, the studio boasted annual revenue in excess of $8 billion, with operations in more than 100 countries worldwide. Prior to Fox, Snider served for eight years as CEO and Co-Chair of DreamWorks Studios, where she ran creative and financial aspects of all film development and production for the studio.
She has also held executive positions at Universal Pictures, where she also presided over a wide range of commercially successful and critically acclaimed films. In addition to her many professional achievements, Snider serves on the Board of Directors for the Special Olympics in Southern California, by whom she has been honored, and the American Film Institute. She is also on the Board of Trustees of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
Having grown up in Philadelphia, Snider decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania for her undergraduate education. At this time, thoughts of Hollywood couldn't have been further from her mind. Instead, Snider recalls always having "my nose in a book, to the point of compulsion." At UPenn she was a diligent student who flourished in her humanities classes, especially literature. So that in 1982 Snider received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.
Although not directly related to her career in Hollywood, Snider has never shied away from acknowledging UPenn's influence on her upward trajectory. Not only did the school give her a broad-based, liberal arts foundation for her eventual career, but it also provided Snider with a large network of colleagues in all areas of the entertainment industry. In return, the veteran film executive has remained a valuable member of her alma mater. In 2019 she was seen back on campus as the speaker for that year's College of Arts and Sciences graduation ceremony. Likewise, Snider continues to enrich the UPenn community by serving as a member of the Penn Arts & Sciences Board of Overseers, The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women, and the Parent Leadership Committee.