Rich Ross Elevated to Disney Studios Post

BURBANK: Rich Ross, currently the president of Disney Channels Worldwide, has been tapped to succeed Dick Cook as the chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, overseeing worldwide production, distribution and marketing for the company’s live-action and animated feature film labels.

Reporting to Robert A. Iger, the president and CEO of Disney, Ross assumes oversight for all theatrical output from Walt Disney, Touchstone, Miramax and Disney/Pixar. In his new role, which he assumes immediately, he will also head Disney’s theatrical and music groups.

Ross has spent 13 years at Disney, leading the creation of hit original programming and developing franchises, such as High School Musical, that delivered across borders and platforms. During his tenure at Disney Channels, the group has grown to include a total of 94 channels and channel feeds in 163 countries in 32 languages. He also oversaw the growth of Radio Disney and of the group’s multiplatform offerings, which includes subscription video-on-demand and broadband websites.

"Rich has an outstanding record of creating high-quality family entertainment that delights audiences around the world," said Iger. "With his success in building the Disney brand across many of our businesses, his astute marketing sensibility, his proven ability in working effectively with talent and his skill at navigating complex global markets, I’m confident he’s the perfect leader for our studio group."

Ross said of his promotion: "I am very excited to play a key role in continuing the storytelling legacy of The Walt Disney Studios. There has never been a better time to entertain our global audiences with high-quality and compelling content and introduce new characters that will become family favorites. I look forward to working with Bob, the team at the studios and all of our Disney family towards that goal."