James A. Rasulo Promoted to President of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/222722006&ticker=dis) - Business Wire, 9/29/02

QuikQuote: James A. (Jay) Rasulo a 17-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE DIS) and chairman and chief executive officer of Euro Disney S.C.A. has been promoted to president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide, it was announced today by Disney Chairman and CEO Michael D. Eisner and Disney President and COO Robert A. Iger.
....
In his new role, Rasulo, 46, whose appointment will be effective immediately, will oversee the company's theme parks and resorts, the Disney Cruise Line, Disney Regional Entertainment, Walt Disney Imagineering and Anaheim Sports Inc., management company for Major League Baseball's Anaheim Angels and the NHL's Mighty Ducks. In addition, he will be responsible for the business' long-term growth and international expansion initiatives, including the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland.

Wow! A big announcement like this made on a Sunday?

Anyway, who can give us the skinny on this guy? I kind of thought he was a long shot to get the big job. Al Weiss must be pretty upset, one would think, to lose out on the promotion two times in a row.

Although I hate to knee-jerk a negative reaction, my first thoughts are not especially positive. First, Rasulo's degrees are in economics--he's not a showman or innovator, at least not by formal education. And I haven't been there but the early buzz from WDS is that it's Disney's most lackluster theme park to date. Is it safe to assume that he was heavily involved in the design/approval and construction of that park?

Interesting times ahead, my friends...

Iceman, thank you for saying all the things that I was thinking. This way I don't have to look cynical. :D Anytime I see an executive with a heavy financial background and not much of a show or story based background, I get a little nervous.

Iceman, from what I've been reading, your assessment is right.

I really don't want to be a pessimist right now. But this doesn't look good.

Well, I don't know much about this Rasulo character, but don't assume that a financial background is *always* a sign of a non-creative. Look at me (read my posts) - I'm studying finance, go figure. (Of course, that was once I figured out that neither drama nor cinema were ever going to make me any serious $$)