Disney Interactive appoints co-presidents

Disney Interactive appoints co-presidents

MUMBAI: Barely a week and a half after Steven Wadsworth quit co-president of Disney Interactive Media Group, the company has appointed former Yahoo entertainment programmer James Pitaro and ex CEO of social gamemaker Playdom John Pleasants as its co-presidents.

The announcement was made by Disney chief Robert Iger. Both will assume office on 18 October.
 
Pleasants, who will continue to work out of San Francisco and run Playdom, will oversee all Disney‘s video-game businesses, including console titles, mobile and online games, and Web-based virtual worlds such as Club Penguin and the recently launched World of Cars.

Meanwhile, Pitaro will oversee Disney‘s non-gaming online content primarily centered around its Disney.com portal.  
 
Said Iger, “Our rapidly growing Disney digital businesses will benefit greatly from the deep experience and distinct leadership skills shown by John and Jimmy. John has shown incredible agility and skill in helping companies achieve success in the ever-shifting digital games business while Jimmy has vast knowledge of the online world and has been hugely successful at creating and building audiences around branded online content."
The Disney chief consolidated Disney‘s gaming and Internet operations into the interactive media group in 2008 and put Wadsworth in charge.