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Walt Disney

Walt Disney and his brother Roy Disney co-founded The Walt Disney Company 91 years ago in 1923. During his lifetime Walter won 22 Academy Awards, 7 Emmy Awards, while also receiving 4 honorary Academy Awards from a total of 59 nominations. This gave him more Oscar awards and nominations than any other individual in history. Walt sadly died from lung cancer on December 15, 1966, in Burbank, California. However by then he'd left behind a booming business, including a few of his animated shorts and feature films

For more than nine decades now, the name Walt Disney has been associate with family entertainment and since 2005 has been managed by Robert A. Iger the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. As Chairman and CEO, Iger

is head of the world’s largest media company and some of the most idolised, respected and beloved brands around the world. One of his main roles in the company has been expanding disney into new markets while ensuring its available on numerous different up to date technological devices.

The board of directors have to approve any decision Iger makes before he can continue. The director board consists of Susan Arnold a Director since 2007, John S. Chen since 2004, Jack Dorsey since 2013, Fred H. Langhammer, Aylwin B. Lewis since 2004, Monica C. Lozano since 2000, Robert W. Matschullat since 2002, Sheryl Sandberg since 2010 and Orin C. Smith since 2006.

Under Robert there is a Corporate team that consists of Andy Bird as the Corporate Chairman of Walt Disney International, Alan Braverman, Ronald L. Iden, Kevin Mayer, Christine M. McCarthy, Zenia Mucha, Jayne Parker, Thomas O.Staggs and Brent Woodford. They all report to Disney's CEO Bob Iger as this is were they fall in the higher hierarchy. Andy Bird is responsible for Disney’s business network outside of the US, him and his global team help to develop strategies to increase awareness for Disney as a brand in key international markets, while also introducing new customers and guests to Disney’s unique storytelling history and iconic characters. Since he joined The Walt Disney Company in 2004 Mr. Bird has greatly expanded Disney's presence around the world.

Bob Chapek is another Chairman of Disney but he's part of the business unit reasonable for finance.  He deals with all of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts around the world as he oversees the Company’s iconic travel and leisure businesses. Bob was named chairman in February 2015 were he leads a global team of more than 130,000 Cast and Crew members including Imagineers charged with delivering outstanding experiences for millions of guest each year, making them memorable so they last a lifetime. With five resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia, six currently under construction in Shanghai, a top-rated cruise line, a popular vacation ownership program and an award winning guided family adventure business, Chapek has his hands full.

Its vital that these two Chairmen communicate in order to insure the smooth running of the company within the whole corporation.

Disney owns the US television company abc founded in 1953, which provides entertainment, news and kids programs to viewers through more than 200 TV stations across the U.S. Its home to ‘Good Morning America’ and ‘Morden Family’. In 1983 Disney’s channels went worldwide available in 169 countries/territories and in 35 languages this allowed Disney to grow as an organization once again.

The sports media television network ESPN is also owned by Disney, providing sports news across the US reaching 1.4 million homes.

Disney has many studio entertainment groups that produce anything from films to theatrical performances, music and nature programs. One of the animated Film sdudios Disney owns is Pixar, most famous for films like WALL.E, up and Toy Story.. It was founded in 1986 having grossed $8.7 billion worldwide box office since then. One of the most iconic film studios they have is the animated studio which is one of the first studios they opened in 1923. Its known for creating the iconic Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Frozen and Beauty and the Beast. Disney also have a record label founded in 1956, its home to Hollywood Records, Walt Disney Records, and Disney Music Publishing. Having originally signed and produced some big pop artists like Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.  

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The Walt Disney Hierarchy

The Walt Disney company operates in five major categorised areas which include, Media Networks, Parks and resorts, studio entertainment, Consumer Products and Interactive.

Disney is known to it competitors as a scalable dream factory, this is because the factors within the operating model can constantly keep making them money with every new character or film they come up with.

Media Networks

Disney’s Media Networks include a huge array of broadcasting, cable, radio, publishing and digital businesses across two major divisions the Disney/ABC Television Group and ESPN Inc. this means they own the channels ABC, Freeform, ESPN and Disney Channel.

Parks and resorts

They currently have 11 Theme Parks around the world, including 47 resorts in North America, Europe and Asia, with another currently under construction in Shanghai. They also have Disney Cruise Liners, a Disney Vacation Club with 13 properties and more than 200,000 member families.

Studio Entertainment

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. They split their entertainment sector into 4 parts, Live Action, Feature Animation, Pixar and Lucasfilm, different movies and characters will come from each sector which will go on to make them money through selling products with the characters on. Disney look at characters and stories as though they are brands and will try to constantly create brands to ensure they keep up their income.

Consumer Products

Consumer Products from Disney are created in the masses, with more than 350 stores worldwide, they are always providing consumers with high-quality products. Many of the toys, books and merchandise created come from the range of films Disney have create dover the years, some in collaboration with other studios such as, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar animation and many more.

Disney focus on creating characters which will be legendary and be instant classics, this ensures that even years after their release, products of the characters from those movies will still be getting sold, such as Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, Cinderella, etc. In 2016, they have introduced ‘Disney Life’ which is way you can get all Disney entertainment materials in one place for £10 a month, this has proven popular as people are using phone and tablets everyday, as well as for entertaining children, this has allowed Disney to invade another platform.

Interactive
Disney products and interactive media; DCPI is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company that brings the stories and characters to life through innovative and engaging physical products and digital experiences. This is done across more than 100 categories, from toys and t-shirts, to apps, books and console games.