Bios

David Wurtzel is president and general manager of KGO-TV, where he oversees ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco and its ancillary businesses.

Wurtzel has been with The Walt Disney Company for nearly 20 years, recently serving as the vice president of Operations and Business Planning for the ABC Owned Television Stations in Los Angeles and Fresno.  In this role, he directed all finance, strategic planning, accounting, and business functions for KABC and KFSN. As a key member of the executive team, he was responsible for establishing, supporting and executing both long-range and short-term goals, strategies, plans and policies that have helped the ABC Owned Television Stations reach and maintain their No. 1 status across linear, streaming and social platforms.

Before that, he served as the assistant director of Finance, where he managed the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes while advising on the organization’s financial strategy. He directed the quarterly accounting process for ABC Owned Television Stations and proactively provided senior management with trend analyses and projections to help them operate effectively within budget and in compliance with company policy and GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).

Wurtzel began his career with the company as the Manager of Controls and Compliance in Corporate Controllership, where he oversaw the Sarbanes-Oxley accounting compliance program for Disney Media Networks. He developed and trained teams across various business units, including ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel and International Distribution. He implemented new accounting guidelines, maintained Sarbanes-Oxley policies and standards, and conducted the annual risk assessment of key control activities. Additionally, he provided subject matter expertise on compliance best practices and identified improvements for complex financial systems.

Before joining The Walt Disney Company, Wurtzel served as a supervisor, Internal Audit at Sony Pictures Entertainment. In this role, he conducted a range of domestic and international financial audits across various divisions, including television, theatrical releases, motion picture production, and home entertainment. He also supervised audits for European Television Networks, Domestic Home Entertainment, Latin American Television Distribution, Sony Pictures Classics, and Theatrical Film Production. Wurtzel began his career as a senior auditor at Ernst and Young.

Wurtzel received his Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University in 2006 and his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, in 2000. He is a certified public accountant licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is on the board of directors for the Media Financial Management Association, a not-for-profit association that provides media and entertainment industry financial professionals with unique networking and educational opportunities, and media-specific information services to enhance their capabilities and contribute to their organizations’ success.