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Laurie Younger, an accomplished entertainment industry executive with more than 20 years’ experience at The Walt Disney Company, was appointed president, Disney-ABC Worldwide Television (formerly known as Buena Vista Worldwide Television), in February 2003. She reports to Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television Group, and to Dick Cook, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios.
As president, Disney-ABC Worldwide Television, Ms. Younger has chief responsibility for domestic and international distribution of the far-reaching portfolio of creative content produced by The Walt Disney Company. This includes films, television series, made-for-TV movies, miniseries, TV animation and direct-to videos and their distribution to all platforms, including the burgeoning video-on-demand (VOD) and broadband markets. In addition Buena Vista Productions, which creates and develops programming for first-run syndication, reports to Ms. Younger.
Ms. Younger had been executive vice president of Television Distribution, ABC, Inc., since 2000, as well as senior vice president and chief financial officer, ABC Inc., since 1998. Earlier in her career she served as senior vice president, ABC, Inc., where she coordinated business activities among ABC’s various business units, assisted ABC divisions as they created intra-company ventures and developed opportunities with other business partners.
She has also been senior vice president, Business Affairs and Administration, Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications. In this position Ms. Younger was responsible for Business Affairs and Administration for the entire Disney Television and Telecommunications division, including TV network, TV animation, international and domestic syndication, Disney Channel, home video and the interactive unit.
Ms. Younger joined the network television group of The Walt Disney Company at its inception in 1985 as director, Business Affairs, Network Television. She was soon promoted to vice president, Business Affairs, for the division and subsequently named senior vice president, Network Television. Prior to joining Disney, Ms. Younger spent eight years at 20th Century Fox, where she rose to director, Business Affairs.
A native New Yorker, Ms. Younger holds an MBA degree from UCLA and an undergraduate degree in communications from Queens College. She is based in Burbank, CA. | 