Michael Eisner is the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, having headed the media behemoth for 21 years, from 1984 to 2005. Eisner turned the company into one of the largest and comprehensive media companies in the world after masterminding the 1995 acquisition of Capital Cities, which brought ABC and ESPN into the Disney fold. In 2005, Eisner resigned after dissension from the board of directors and stockholders. In 2007, Eisner launched Vuguru Studios, a firm specializing in the creation of videos for the web, cellphones, and other devices.
Key Dates
- 1942: Born in Mt. Kisco, New York
- 1964: Graduates with B.A. in English from Denison University
- 1976: Becomes CEO of Paramount Pictures
- 1984: Becomes CEO of The Walt Disney Company
- 2005: Steps down as Disney CEO after criticism from Roy E. Disney and stockholders
- 2005: Founds Tornante Company, investment firm
- 2007: Launches Vuguru
Michael Eisner Timeline
Note: Many of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.
March 7, 1942: Born
1964: Graduated Denison University
1966: Hired by Barry Diller as assistant to National Programming Director at ABC Television
1971: Vice President of Daytime Programming at ABC Television
1976: President of Primetime Production and Development at ABC Television
1976-1984: President and COO of Paramount Pictures
1984-2005: Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company
1990: Host Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration
1996: Underwent emergency bypass surgery
2005: Founded The Tornante Company
2006: Producer and Host Conversations with Michael Eisner (TV Series)
2007: Producer Prom Queen
2007: Founded Vuguru video production company
