On January 24, 2000, Robert A. Iger was named president and chief operating
officer of The Walt Disney Co. as well as a member of its board of
directors. Previously, Iger served as chairman of the Disney-owned ABC
Group and president of Walt Disney International, Disney's overseas
business division. Michael Eisner, Walt Disney's chairman and CEO, also
announced the promotion of Chief Strategic Officer Peter E. Murphy and
Chief Financial Officer Thomas O. Staggs, to the positions of senior
executive vice presidents, and said that he is forming an Executive
Management Committee made up of himself, Iger, Vice Chairman Sanford M.
Litvack, Murphy, Staggs and the company's business-unit heads. The
Executive Management Committee will help provide a more efficient
communication line among Disney's executive-staff members and will serve as
a nucleus to generate new ideas. Joining ABC in 1974, Iger started as a
studio supervisor and rose through a series of increasingly responsible
management positions. He spent 12 years with ABC Sports, where he became VP
of programming. Later, Iger became president of ABC Entertainment in Los
Angeles and then president of the ABC Television Network Group. In 1994, he
was elected president, COO and board member of Capital Cities/ABC. In that
position, he was responsible for all operating divisions. At the time of
the ABC/Disney merger, he had been named the next CEO of Capital
Cities/ABC. "Bob Iger is recognized as a leader in the communications and
entertainment industries," Eisner said. "Bob not only helped build the ABC
television network into a market leader, but was also instrumental in the
company's expansion into cable programming, with such initiatives as ESPN,
A&E, E!, The History Channel and Lifetime. As a result, when Disney
acquired Capital Cities/ABC, we added a collection of assets that
strengthened Disney and which continue to increase in value and contribute
to the growth of the company. Since the acquisition, Bob has played a key
role in guiding the integration of ABC into the Disney organization. In the
past year, he has overseen the ABC Television Network's turnaround, powered
by such breakthrough programming as WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE, ABC
2000, THE DREW CAREY SHOW and THE PRACTICE, and the implementation of new
business strategies." Murphy has served as executive vice president and
chief strategic officer since May 1998. His responsibilities were strategic
analysis, business development and long-term planning for the growth of
Disney's global businesses. He joined Disney's Strategic Planning
department in 1988 as a senior planning analyst and advanced through a
series of positions with increasing responsibilities, becoming a senior
vice president of strategic planning and development in 1995. In 1997, he
became senior vice president and chief financial officer for ABC Inc.,
after having been one of the key players in Disney's acquisition of Capital
Cities/ABC and the integration of the two companies. Since May 1998, Staggs
has served as executive vice president and chief financial officer, with
responsibility for the company's worldwide finance organization, investor
relations, treasury activities, information systems and taxes. Joining
Disney in 1990 as a manager of strategic planning, Staggs soon advanced
through a series of positions, becoming senior vice president of strategic
planning and development in 1995. He played a key role in various Disney
strategic joint ventures and corporate transactions, including the
acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC. Staggs also served as the chief
architect of Disney's Internet strategy, engineering Disney's acquisition
of Starwave and its investment in Infoseek, and structuring and negotiating
the combination of Disney's Internet business with Infoseek under a new
class of Disney tracking stock.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
