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Experts Available to Discuss Eisner's Retirement from Disney

Business Wire, Sept 15, 2004

TOPIC: Roy Disney and Stanley Gold, former directors of the Walt Disney Co., are questioning Michael Eisner's succession plan to retire as chief executive in September 2006, according to an article by USA Today. They requested Disney's board to dismiss Eisner by next spring, as they do not agree with his two-year succession plan or Eisner's choice of successor, Bob Iger. Eisner also stated he would be willing to serve on the company's board through fiscal 2007, according to the article. Experts say corporate governance reform has gone in the direction of encouraging former CEOs to cease serving on the board of directors to avoid influencing CEO successors.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

Chuck Pappalardo is managing director of Trilogy Venture Search, a retained executive recruiting firm headquartered in California's Silicon Valley. An 18-year veteran of the retained search industry, Chuck specializes in C-level searches and building executive management teams for venture, private equity, technology, life sciences, and professional services clients. Chuck is available to talk about economic conditions, specifically as they relate to hiring trends and hot employment opportunities, as well as such topical issues as corporate governance, character/ethics assessments, compensation/severance packages, etc. CEO succession planning must be an ongoing effort: Businesses need to view themselves as small countries and plan accordingly. Working jointly, boards and incumbent CEOs should think through potential scenarios the company could face, considering the strategic and tactical positions that will need to be filled - from top on down - and who will best fit those roles. The clearer the methodology and the smarter the strategy, the easier it will be to bolster respect for the new leadership and curb any defections from passed-over executives. For public companies, investors as well as employees should be enfolded in the process.

Hoffer Kaback, of Gloucester Capital Corporation, is a recognized writer and speaker on corporate governance issues He has had experience on three public company boards and can discuss directorship issues.

Dr. W. Gerry Sanders is the J. Earl Garrett Fellow in Strategic Management at the Marriott School of Business and Brigham Young University. He is an expert in corporate governance (including executive compensation) and corporate growth strategies. He has studied the effects of alternative corporate governance mechanisms on firm strategy, investment, and performance. He teaches the strategy formulation course in the MBA and undergraduate programs, as well as an elective course on managing corporate growth through mergers and acquisitions. Professor Sanders' scholarly work has been published in leading management journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, Human Resource Management Journal, Journal of Management and Managerial Finance. He has done extensive work on top management team incentives. Professor Sanders' recent work has examined the governance and growth of emerging businesses (e.g., Internet firms), and the use of market signals to facilitate shareholder appeasement. Dr. Sanders' research has been cited in numerous leading business publications, including the New York Times, the Economist, Business Week, and CFO magazine.

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

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