What was Walt Disney's "title" - CEO, Chairman, President, nothing?

[animagusurreal]

Just wondering, as I've never seen him referred to anything other than just Walt Disney. (As a non-business person, I must admit still don't entirely understand the difference between the three titles mentioned above.)

[sdfilmcritic]

Well I do know that Chairman of the Board is the head honcho that speaks on behalf of the board. Have you ever read a John Grisham book or watch a civic trial and realized there is a lead juror on the jury who reads off the jury's decision of a conviction? Well the lead juror would be like the Chairman of the Board for a company. He represents and speaks on behalf of the Board of Directors who then in turn represent the best interest for the company and the stock holders.

The CEO (chief executive officer) is the person who must report to the Board of Directors. He would have to carry out the orders of the Board of Directors. As far as I understand everything the board will present an idea they is in the best interest for the company and then take a vote on the idea if it should be implemented or not. If the majority of the board rules in favor of implementing an idea then the CEO must make sure the idea is integrated in to the company.

The role of the President is what confuses me. I would think the role of the president would closely follow the role of CEO. Can anyone else answer this question?

[Alex S.]

Walt Disney was Chairman of the Board from the company's founding to his death. Roy O. Disney was the CEO from the company's founding to his death. The President position was added in 1945 and Roy held it until Donn Tatum took it over in 1966.

Disney Chairmen of the Board
Walt Disney
Roy O. Disney
Donn Tatum
Card Walker
Ray Watson
Michael Eisner
George Mitchell

Disney CEOs
Roy O. Disney
Donn Tatum
Card Walker
Ron Miller
Michael Eisner
Rober Iger (Soon)

Disney Presidents
Roy O. Disney
Donn Tatum
Card Walker
Ron Miller
Frank Wells
Michael Eisner
Mike Ovitz
Michael Eisner
Robert Iger

Until the Eisner/Wells era, the path of promotion very much had been President to CEO to Chairman.

The roles of COB, CEO, and President can vary widely from company to company depending on the personalities and corporate bylaws in place.

Generally, the COB is responsible for making sure that the company is fulfilling its obligations to the shareholders, the CEO is responsible for the big planning on what the company will do and roughly how it will do it and the President is more responsible for handling the day to day running of the company in persuit of the CEO's goals which should be in line with the expectations of the board of directors.

Obviously that isn't how Walt and Roy divided responsibilities and in modern companies it is very common for the same person to simultaneously hold two, or even all three, of the positions.

[Disney Vault]

I have never even heard of Donn Tatum and Card Walker as CEOs.

[PapiBear]

I have never even heard of Donn Tatum and Card Walker as CEOs.

That's because they didn't toot their own horns Eisner-style (they also didn't make a lot of enemies in Hollywood, Eisner-style). They just quietly kept Walt's (and Roy's) legacy alive. Ron Miller wasn't even that well known except that 1. he's Walt's son-in-law, which got him a certain amount of notoriety, and 2. he was listed as either producer or executive producer on most Disney film productions during the 1970s and early 80s.

[Iceman]

I have never even heard of Donn Tatum and Card Walker as CEOs.

Another perspective from PapiBear's is that these two incompetently "led" the company into doldrums from which it almost did not recover, neglecting to perform even the most basic of functions in their never-ending quest to determine, "What would Walt do?" Even to CM's who lived through the era, this was known as the darkest period in Disney's history. Say what you will about Eisner (and people do), he at least had a vision and took action to realize it.