Disney’s search for marketing president has Hollywood abuzz
It’s been the hottest topic of conversation in Hollywood all week, but when it comes to who will be Walt Disney Studios’ new president of marketing, it appears writer William Goldman’s maxim still holds: Nobody knows anything.
As of late Thursday, however, the word from people close to Disney and the industry’s tight-knit community of marketing executives was that a candidate with experience in movie marketing who works at another studio will decamp very soon to the house that Walt built. The person will take the job vacated this week by MT Carney. Carney, a surprise choice with no movie marketing experience, was picked by Disney’s then-new Chairman Rich Ross in April 2010.
Many in Hollywood are still scratching their heads, however, over who will get one of the most powerful and presumably most coveted jobs in the entertainment industry.
Speculation has centered on several likely candidates, including marketing presidents at other studios, such as Sony Pictures’ Marc Weinstock, Paramount Pictures’ Josh Greenstein and Warner Bros.’ Sue Kroll; experienced marketing executives who are in between jobs, such as Peter Adee, most recently of Relativity Media, and Gerry Rich, formerly of Paramount Pictures; and studio marketing executives who would be stepping up to the top marketing job, such as Blair Rich, Warner Bros.’ executive vice president of worldwide marketing, Dwight Caines, Sony Pictures’ digital marketing president, and Michael Moses, Universal Pictures’ marketing co-president.
-- Ben Fritz, Los Angeles Times