Disney Appoints New Board Chairman

[tjcjr]

Way back when, Steve Jobs was rumored to possibly become the new chairman at Disney but that didn't happen and John E. Pepper Jr. was appointed in his place (see the attached article below). Following the Pixar acquisition Jobs ended up on the board as well as establishing himself as the largest individual company stockholder with 138 million shares.
In light of this, I am curious to know if the numerous new Pixar implementations in the parks are really the result of Lassiter and his teams creative influence or should the credit be attributed to a fella higher up the chain?

===============================================

Former Procter & Gamble Chairman and Chief Executive John E. Pepper Jr. will become non-executive chairman of The Walt Disney Co. in January, succeeding former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell, the entertainment company said.
Pepper, 67, was named to the Disney board last December at the same time Mitchell, 72, was asked to remain as chairman until a successor could be found. Mitchell had planned to retire last year.
The announcement Wednesday ends speculation that Disney’s newest board member, Apple Computer Inc. CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs, would succeed Mitchell.
Jobs is Disney’s largest shareholder. He joined the board earlier this year after Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios, which Jobs headed.
Mitchell became non-executive chairman in March 2004, after Disney’s board stripped CEO Michael Eisner of his chairmanship. Eisner had held both titles for more than 20 years but was rebuked by shareholders in 2004 after a revolt led by former board members Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold.
The company also adopted new corporate governance rules separating the offices of chairman and CEO.
Mitchell led the company through several difficult years, including Eisner’s retirement. The board hired Disney President Robert Iger to become the company’s sixth CEO. Pepper has extensive experience leading Procter & Gamble and expanding its overseas markets, including China.
“Since joining the Disney board, John has quickly immersed himself in our business and shared his broad and deep expertise in corporate management, global brand building and leadership development,” Iger said in a prepared statement. Pepper was unavailable for comment, Disney said. Pepper was named chairman and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble in 1995 and retired from the company in 2002, after 38 years of service. In 2004, he became vice president for finance and administration at Yale University. He left Yale earlier this year. Pepper now serves as CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. He also is a director of Boston Scientific Corp. Shares of Disney slipped 3 cents to close at $29.38 on the New York Stock Exchange.

[cellarhound]

This is old news...

[tjcjr]

This is old news...

thanks, I left out the top half ... it has since been edited

[cellarhound]

In light of this, I am curious to know if the numerous new Pixar implementations in the parks are really the result of Lassiter and his teams creative influence or should the credit be attributed to a fella higher up the chain?

I think from Mr. Pepper what we have seen is further implmentation of Disney branding across a greater variety of consumer products that may not have been tradtitional... I think he is in part behind some of the products in support of Ratatouille, Hanna Montana, and High School Musical... Although I don't see this as being a "direct" role... But you might say it is that that I see as being his biggest contribution... If anything...

The idea is implement properties quicker through a broader bandwith of multiple channels... My take is that he is going to look at content and the number one thing he will ask is, "How it is being supported by products in the marketplace?" And Iger is going to have to answer him...

That is a question Mitchell couldn't ask of Eisner... Eisner was more conserned with the volume of properties...