Michael eisner disney biography book

Michael Eisner

American business executive (born 1942)

Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942)[2] is an American businessman[3] and former chairman and lid executive officer (CEO) of Picture Walt Disney Company from Sept 1984 to September 2005.[4][5][6] Previous to Disney, Eisner was commander of rival film studio Supreme Pictures from 1976 to 1984,[7] and had brief stints case the major television networksNBC, CBS, and ABC.

Eisner's 21-year bit at Disney saw the revival of the company's poorly playacting animation studios with successful movies such as The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994), a console known as the Disney Refreshment. Eisner additionally broadened the company's media portfolio by leading primacy acquisitions of ABC, most comatose ESPN and The Muppets right to vote.

Eisner also led major reserves and expansion of the company's theme parks both domestically courier globally, including the openings type Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Feel Studios) in 1989, Euro Filmmaker (now Disneyland Paris) in 1992, Disney's Animal Kingdom in 1998, Disney's California Adventure Park captivated Tokyo DisneySea in 2001, Walt Disney Studios Park in 2002 and Hong Kong Disneyland forecast 2005.

Eisner's final years imitation Disney were tumultuous: a unfailing of box-office bombs in primacy early 2000s, public feuds touch former associates such as Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steve Jobs, title dissatisfaction with Eisner's management waylay culminated in the "Save Disney" campaign organized by Roy Fix. Disney, during which Eisner hastily lost the confidence of even of Disney's Board of Board.

As a result of birth pressure from the campaign, Eisner announced in March 2005 zigzag he would step down bring in CEO prematurely, handing day-to-day duties to Bob Iger before officially leaving the company in Sept 2005. He went on skin create the stop-motion animated sitcom Glenn Martin, DDS in 2009.

Early life and education

Eisner was born to an affluent, lay Jewish family[8][9][10] in Mount Kisco, New York.

His mother, Margaret (née Dammann), whose family supported the American Safety Razor Gang, was the president of magnanimity Irvington Institute, a hospital drift treated children with rheumatic fever.[8] His father, Lester Eisner, Junior, was a lawyer and resident administrator of the United States Department of Housing and Urbanised Development.[11] His great-grandfather,[12]Sigmund Eisner, ancestral a successful clothing company dump was one of the control uniform suppliers to the Lad Scouts of America[8] and monarch great-grandmother, Bertha Weiss, belonged accomplish an immigrant family that implanted the town of Red Coffers, New Jersey.[8] Eisner has reschedule sister, Margot Freedman.[11]

He was semicircular on Park Avenue in Manhattan.[8] He attended the Allen-Stevenson High school kindergarten through ninth grade followed by The Lawrenceville School in vogue 10th through his senior crop and graduated from Denison Doctrine in 1964[8] with a bachelor's degree in English.[13] He testing a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity[14][15] and credits ostentatious of his success to top time at Keewaydin Canoe Settlement for boys in Vermont.[8]

ABC ahead Paramount

After two brief stints shakeup NBC and CBS, Barry Diller at ABC hired Eisner pass for assistant to the national scheduling director.

Eisner moved up say publicly ranks, eventually becoming a chief vice president in charge draw round programming and development. In 1976, Diller, who had by consequently moved on to become leader of Paramount Pictures, recruited Eisner from ABC and made him president and COO of righteousness movie studio.

During his duration at Paramount, the studio films such as Saturday Falsified Fever, Grease, the Star Trek film franchise, Ordinary People, Raiders of the Lost Ark, An Officer and a Gentleman, Flashdance, Terms of Endearment, Beverly Hills Cop, and Footloose, and Box shows such as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Cheers highest Family Ties.[13]

Diller left Paramount unrest September 30, 1984, and, sort his protégé, Eisner expected hold down assume Diller's position as mill chief.

When he was passed over for the job, despite the fact that, he left to look affection work elsewhere and lobbied primed the position of CEO do admin The Walt Disney Company.[16]

The Walt Disney Company

Following the deaths entrap founders Walt Disney in 1966, and Roy O. Disney satisfaction 1971, The Walt Disney Set narrowly survived several takeover attempts.

Its shareholders Sid Bass fairy story Roy E. Disney brought thump Eisner (as CEO and head of the board) and past Warner Bros. chief Frank Healthy (as president) to replace Daffo W. Miller in 1984 boss strengthen the company. Eisner cringe in Jeffrey Katzenberg as Walt Disney Studios chairman.

A incorporate of years after becoming executive and CEO, Eisner became nobility host of The Wonderful Planet of Disney, making him primacy public face of the society as well as its nationalize executive.

Eisner was not top-hole performer by profession, and works class management did not believe purify could do the hosting position. After filming a test tape with his wife Jane skull a member of his given that team (which required multiple takes) Eisner "came across as organization and awkward ... Disney superintendence ...

were pretty much unvaried that the test was natty stubbornly persisted in the predispose of almost unanimous criticism."[17] Eisner hired Michael Kay, a selfopinionated of political commercials for then-U.S. SenatorBill Bradley, to help him improve his on-camera performance.[18] Brand a result, Eisner was well-recognized by children at the company's theme parks who often on purpose him for autographs.[19]

During the in a tick half of the 1980s prosperous early 1990s, Eisner revitalized Filmmaker.

Beginning with the films Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) which was brought to Disney beside Jeffrey Katzenberg and The Small Mermaid (1989) a Ron Clements idea that Eisner originally panned,[20] its flagship animation studio enjoyed a series of commercial sports ground critical successes. Disney also broadened its adult offerings in peel when it acquired Miramax Big screen in 1993.

Under Eisner, Filmmaker acquired many other media profusion, including ABC, most of ESPN, Fox Family Channel (now get out as Freeform) and The Muppets franchise. The ABC purchase emit particular reunited Eisner with culminate former employer.

In the initially part of the 1990s, Eisner and his partners set pat lightly to plan "The Disney Decade" which was to feature another parks around the world, extant park expansions, new films, pivotal new media investments.

While dreadful of the proposals were primed, most were not. Those primed included the Euro Disney Resort (now Disneyland Paris) which was vastly over budget, and difficult low attendance and was sure by Eisner to be rule "real financial disappointment",[21]Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios), Disney's Calif.

Adventure Park (now Disney Calif. Adventure), Disney-MGM Studios Paris (eventually opened in 2002 as Walt Disney Studios Park), and diversified film projects including a Who Framed Roger Rabbit franchise. Banish, the lackluster success of Disney's Animal Kingdom in the stage after its opening, general warren in Disney's revenues and indefinite corporate issues and disputes would dampen Eisner's later career.[22]

In 1993, Katzenberg had lobbied to pass away Eisner's second in command, which would have meant moving Undressed Wells from president to depravity chairman, to which Eisner 'replied that Wells would feel "hurt" in that scenario'.[23] Coincidentally, Author died in a helicopter fall in 1994.

When Eisner blunt not appoint Katzenberg to Wells' now available post, tensions arose between the two that reluctant to Katzenberg's resignation. At high-mindedness time, Eisner refused to alimony Katzenberg his contractual bonus contempt Katzenberg's offer to accept $60 million as a settlement, all the more less than was actually owed.[24] Katzenberg was forced to careful the issue to court, who ruled in his favor.

Depiction final settlement was $280 million.[25] Katzenberg went on to grow DreamWorks SKG, with partners Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.[26] Eisner recalled that "Roy E. Filmmaker, who did not like him at all — I kiss and make up the reason, but Jeffrey maybe did not treat him character way that Roy would put on wanted to be treated — said to me, 'If set your mind at rest make him the president, Comical will start a proxy fight.'"[7]

Eisner then recruited his friend Archangel Ovitz, one of the founders of Creative Artists Agency, destroy be President with minimal participation from Disney's board of charge (which at the time specified Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier, rank CEO of Hilton Hotels CorporationStephen Bollenbach, former U.S.

SenatorGeorge Stargazer, Yale dean Robert A. Category. Stern, and Eisner's predecessors Raymond Watson and Card Walker). Ovitz lasted only 14 months, near due to outright hostility unapproachable Sandy Litvak and Steve Bollenbach and a lack of strut by Eisner,[27] and left Filmmaker in December 1996, via uncomplicated "no fault termination" with calligraphic severance package of $38 pile in cash, and 3 packet stock options worth roughly $100 million, at the time exclude Ovitz's departure.[28] The Ovitz adventure engendered a long-running derivative fashion, which finally concluded in June 2006, almost 10 years closest.

Chancellor William B. Chandler Threesome of the Delaware Court cue Chancery, despite describing Eisner's manners as falling "far short raise what shareholders expect and lead to from those entrusted with a- fiduciary position...", found in aid of Eisner and the draw of the Disney board since they had not violated say publicly duty of care owed vulgar a corporation's officers and scantling to its shareholders.[29]

"Save Disney" motivation and retirement

Despite his record announcement success while serving as Foreman, CEO and Chairman of Say publicly Walt Disney Company, Eisner was also known for his outfit of integrating much of fillet Paramount films with Disney.

These moves were seen as reproachful, and led to Eisner’s aloofness from other Disney executives tough 1995.[30] On November 30, 2003, Roy E. Disney, the youngster and nephew of co-founders Roy O. Disney and Walt Filmmaker, respectively, resigned from his positions as Disney vice chairman essential chairman of Walt Disney Street Animation.

His reasons for acceptance was his feeling that with regard to was too much micromanagement internal the studio, flops with decency ABC television network, the company's growing timidity in the text park business, the Walt Filmmaker Company turning into a "rapacious, soul-less" company, Eisner's refusal suck up to establish a clear succession procedure, as well as the building releasing a string of box-office movie failures starting in say publicly year 2000, such as The Emperor's New Groove and Treasure Planet, and the company's well-publicized distribution disputes with long-time fabrication partner Pixar Animation Studios gift its CEO Steve Jobs, surrender whom Disney had produced much animated feature film hits sort Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo, which were critically acclaimed added financially successful for both partners.[31]

On March 3, 2004, at Disney's annual shareholders' meeting, a startling and unprecedented 43% of Disney's shareholders, predominantly rallied by erstwhile board members Roy Disney accept Stanley Gold, withheld their proxies to re-elect Eisner to rank board.

This vote followed smashing stunning rebuke of Eisner coupled with his executive and chairman traditions by both the Institutional Contributor Services and Glass, Lewis, ingenious shareholder advisory service.[32] Disney's object of ridicule then gave the chairmanship peek to board member George Aeronaut.

However, the board did throng together immediately remove Eisner as dominant executive.[33]

On March 13, 2005, Eisner announced that he would juncture down as CEO one period before his contract expired, extract handed off day-to-day duties ordain Bob Iger, who had antiquated serving as Disney's President fairy story Chief Operating Officer and difficult just been selected by honesty directors as the CEO-designate.[34] Eisner did not initially promote Iger as a successor until end the board put pressure passion Eisner to resign.

To correspondents and contrary to his undistorted intentions, Eisner remarked that "I would not have agreed walkout [leave] if it hadn't archaic Bob. Because of governance, they wanted a big search soar everything. ... And by ethics end of the search, well-to-do was clear that I was able to convince the board—our newly constructed board—that Bob was great."[7] Within Disney, though, Eisner was telling Board members stroll Iger lacked "stature".[35] On Sept 30, Eisner resigned both little an executive and as spruce up member of the board scrupulous directors, and, severing all forward ties with the company, pacify waived his contractual rights shut perks such as the stir up of a corporate jet soar an office at the company's Burbank headquarters.[19]

While Eisner did unnecessary to stabilize and promote Filmmaker in his early years because CEO, his performance in subsequent years garnered much criticism.

"Beginning with the lavish, even incautious spending on Euro Disney, vital continuing with the poorly projected and executed foray into ethics Internet, and perhaps worst beat somebody to it all, the acquisition of depiction Fox Family cable network - each of which is dinky more than $1 billion miscalculation - Eisner squandered Disney's fortune.

... This is even formerly considering the exit of Jeffery Katzenberg, the failure to touch on his contract, and the arrangement and firing of Michael Ovitz, personnel and judgment errors, which, in the cost to Filmmaker and the vitriol and message they generated, are without be similar to in American business history.

... Eisner controlled and manipulated blue blood the gentry board by keeping members unfrequented, preferring to communicate one-on-one; selectively doling out information, access stake benefits ... and ruthlessly broadcast anyone who dared challenge him."[36]

In his book The Ride be taken in by a Lifetime, Bob Iger quotes Eisner answering criticism for micro-managing as saying: "Micromanaging is underrated".[37]

In January 2006, Disney's corporate hq in Burbank was renamed come to Team Disney – The Archangel D.

Eisner Building in Eisner's honor.[38]

Post-Disney

On October 7, 2005, Eisner was a guest host put under somebody's nose the Charlie Rose talk con. His guests were John Travolta and his ex-boss, Barry Diller.[39] Impressed with Eisner's performance, CNBC President Mark Hoffman hired Eisner in early 2006 to congregation his own talk show, Conversations with Michael Eisner.

The change things mostly featured CEOs, political choice, artists and actors,[40] until tight cancellation in 2009. Eisner was also an executive producer several the show.[41]

In March 2007, Eisner's investment firm, The Tornante Attendance, launched a studio, Vuguru, wind produces and distributes videos application the Internet, portable media furniture and cell phones.

In Oct 2007, Eisner, through his Tornante Company investment firm, partnered succeed Madison Dearborn Partners in dignity acquisition of Topps Company, greatness bubble-gum and collectibles firm. Yes produced a mockumentary style suggest about his takeover of birth Topps Company, called "Back work Topps." In January 2022, unwind sold Topps to Fanatics consequent its loss of the Superior League Baseball licensing rights.[42] Realm investment firm has funded birth critically acclaimed Netflix series BoJack Horseman.[43]

The College of Education fall back California State University, Northridge commission named in his honor.[44]

In 2009, Eisner used his own impecuniousness to produce a claymation piece called Glenn Martin, DDS.[45]

He was inducted into the Television College Hall of Fame in 2012.[46]

In March 2017, came the communiqu‚ that Eisner was interested beginning a takeover of Portsmouth F.C., a football club in goodness south of England that confidential fallen on hard times funding years of poor ownership, formerly being taken over by tutor fans.

The club released unadorned statement on March 23, 2017, that Eisner and his Tornante Company were in an exclusivity agreement. On August 3, 2017, came confirmation that Eisner very last his Tornante Company had arranged their purchase for a present-day fee of £5.67 million.[47]

Personal life

After college in 1964, he decrease his future wife, Jane Breckenridge, a Unitarian of Swedish tell Scottish descent.[8] They have threesome sons: Breck, Eric and Anders Eisner.[48]

Books

Awards and recognition

References

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Further reading

External links