MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company board of directors has elected Procter & Gamble former chairman and CEO John E. Pepper Jr. and Starbucks Corp former president and CEO Orin C. Smith as two new independent directors, effective 1 January, 2006.

With the election of Pepper and Smith, 11 of 13 directors on Disney‘s Board will be independent.With them joining in January, the full Board of 13 members will now have an appropriate amount of time to work closely together and carefully deliberate in the selection of Disney‘s next chairman.

The Board also unanimously requested that Senator Mitchell remain a director, and continue as chairman, through December 2006 to facilitate an orderly chairman succession process. Senator Mitchell had planned to retire following Disney‘s 2006 Annual Meeting, but agreed to the Board‘s request that he stand for re-election at the 2006 Annual Meeting.

"By growing, cultivating and protecting some of the best known brands worldwide at Procter & Gamble and Starbucks, John and Orin bring invaluable global perspectives as well as proven commitments to social responsibility. Disney shareholders will benefit from their decades of world-class leadership, finance and high profile consumer brand experience," said Disney chairman Senator George J Mitchell.