Graham Hopper Named Vice President, Business Planning, for Global Merchandise Licensing at Disney Consumer Products

Business Wire, July 15, 1998

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 15, 1998--Graham Hopper has been named vice president of business planning within Global Merchandise Licensing at Disney Consumer Products.

Tom Conforti, executive vice president of Global Merchandise Licensing, made the announcement.

In his new position, Hopper will be responsible for setting strategies for the worldwide merchandise-licensing business, and identifying the opportunities for improving the performance of this business around the world.

Hopper had been vice president of finance for Licensing in the United States. He was also indirectly responsible for finance at Walt Disney Art Classics and Walt Disney Records, and was general manager of Disney Educational Productions, as well as Disney's sports- merchandise and theatrical-merchandise businesses.

"Graham has played a key role in redefining how we approach our licensing business in the United States," Conforti said in making the announcement. "He has helped us increase the ways we bring value to our relationship with licensees and made business planning a more productive process for everyone."

Hopper joined Disney Consumer Products in 1991, in the Paris regional office of Consumer Products, serving in several financial positions, including finance manager for the region. He spent two years as finance director for the Nordic area, with headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, before relocating to Licensing in the United States in 1996 as finance director for the U.S. Licensing group.

Hopper graduated from South Africa's University of Cape Town in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in commerce. He earned a master of business administration degree in 1991 from the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business.

    CONTACT: Disney Consumer Products, Burbank
              Chuck Champlin, 818/567-5959