Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) was CEO of The Walt Disney Company from September 22, 1984 to September 30, 2005. He also was the narrator of all Disney previews.
Father of Breck Eisner and Eric Eisner (I).
Son, Joe Eisner, currently attending UC Berkeley.
When The Walt Disney Company bought ABC, Eisner controlled the network that gave him his start as a young executive.
In the early 1990s, after he cashed out some of the options he enjoyed which were tied to the performance of the Walt Disney Co., he walked away with over $100 million in cash.
He wrote his autobiography, a second book about his summer camp and was the subject of two other books, "The Keys to the Kingdom" and "Disney War".
Brilliant but controversial studio executive, he began with a minor position at NBC, then moved to ABC, Paramount, then to Walt Disney. He is brilliant because every place he has worked as an executive went on to become #1 in at least one area while he was there. He is controversial because he is known as a very tough negotiator and boss. Many executives, producers and writers have left his employ over the years after a disagreement.
His favorite film is Hayao Miyazaki's Tonari no Totoro (1988). The film became Disney property in 2004; it was previously owned by Fox and Troma.
When dissatisfied with his work at NBC, he mailed out hundreds of resumés to further his career. He received just one response - from Barry Diller at ABC.
Worked his way up from an mid-level manager to the VP of Prime Time Production at ABC (1966-1976).
As a top programming executive at ABC in the 1970s, he was instrumental in taking the network from its usual third place to the top through programming like "Happy Days" (1974).
When Barry Diller brough Eisner to Paramount in 1976, the company was firmly in sixth place (out of six) in the movie industry, without a single release in the box-office top ten. Two years later, half of the top box-office were Paramount productions, and Paramount was the top movie studio.
CEO and Chairman of the Board of Walt Disney Co. (1984-2005).
Under his leadership, Disney was transformed from an obscure film studio and theme park company to one of the largest media powerhouses in the world. The company's market capitalization grew from $2 billion in 1984 to $61 billion in 2001. The company is now worth $50 billion.
He was heavily criticized for building a Board of Directors which was filled with friends and supporters who did not effectively balance his own influence in the boardroom. Reforms that were made under pressure brought in renowned diplomat and negotiator Senator George Mitchell, but also removed the harshest critic of Eisner in the boardroom - Roy Disney.
Has been criticized in recent times for having a fractious style of management which has led to a string of top executives leaving the company.
President and COO of Paramount Pictures (1976-84).
After receiving an unprecedented rebuke from shareholders in 2004 with 43% of shares being withheld for his re-election, he stepped down as the Chairman of the Board, and continued to hold the position of CEO.
Underwent open heart surgery in 1996.
While he was an executive at Paramount, he said the best script he ever read was Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
Graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio.
