Disney Chairman Cook Steps Down

According to AWN: Dick Cook has stepped down as chairman at the Walt Disney Co. This follows his recent unveiling of Disney upcoming projects at the D23 Conference.
By Rick DeMott | Friday, September 18, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Posted In | News Categories: Business, Cartoons, Films, Home Entertainment, Television, Theme Parks - Installations, Visual Effects | Geographic Region: All | Main Categories: Business, Cartoons, Films, Home Entertainment, People, Television, Theme Parks - Installations, Visual Effects
In a shocking announcement, Dick Cook has stepped down as chairman at the Walt Disney Co. This follows his recent unveiling of Disney upcoming projects at the D23 Conference.

Statement from Dick Cook

I am stepping down from my role as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, effective immediately.

I have loved every minute of my 38 years that I have worked at Disney... from the beginning as a ride operator on Disneyland's steam train and monorail to my position as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. To wrap up my Disney experience in a neatly bundled statement is close to impossible. But what I will say is, during my time at the Studio, we have achieved many industry and Company milestones. Our talent roster is simply the best in the business. I believe our slate of upcoming motion pictures is the best in our history. But most of all, I love the people, my colleagues, my teammates, who are the most talented, dedicated and loyal folks in the world. I know that I leave the Studio in their exceptional hands.

I have been contemplating this for some time now and feel it's the right time for me to move on to new adventures... and in the words of one of my baseball heroes, Yogi Berra, "If you come to a fork in the road, take it."

Statement from Disney CEO Bob Iger

Throughout his distinguished 38-year Disney career, Dick Cook's outstanding creative instincts and incomparable showmanship have truly enriched this company and significantly impacted Disney's great legacy. We thank Dick for his tremendous passion for Disney, and his many accomplishments and contributions to The Walt Disney Studios, including a very promising upcoming film slate. On behalf of everyone at Disney, we wish him the best with all the future has to offer.

腾讯财经: 美国传媒业巨头迪士尼制片公司董事长迪克•库克(Dick Cook)本周五宣布，他将从即刻起辞去在迪士尼的职务。库克表示，他将追寻新的冒险。

库克在其声明中表示，在过去的一段时间内，他一直在考虑离开迪士尼的问题，并且认为目前是一个合适的时机。消息人士表示，现年59岁的库克在本周五向其下属员工表示，目前的工作环境让他到过于狭小。

消息人士表示，库克此次的离职，并不是因为他与公司首席执行官鲍勃•伊格(Bob Iger)或者其他管理层人员的矛盾。一位迪士尼公司的新闻发言人表示，公司尚未准备宣布由何人接替库克的职务。

在库克的带领下，迪士尼成为了全球首屈一指的3D电影制作公司，并以《四眼天鸡》等成功影片闻名于世界。但是由于DVD销量逐年下降，而部分影片的票房也不尽如人意，迪士尼的经营也逐步陷入困境。

迪尼斯首席执行官伊格在代表公司的一封声明中表示，他希望库克能够继续获得成功，并且认为库克有着“突出的创造本能”。

咨询公司Media Valuation Partners的一位负责人表示，库克的离职与迪士尼公司上个月的收购活动有关。迪士尼在今年8月份以40亿美元收购了漫画书出版商及电影制片公司Marvel Entertainment Inc。另外，迪士尼在业绩上对于旗下Pixar Animation的过分依赖也使库克感到不满。

这位分析师表示：“也许，迪士尼的未来将在很大程度上取决于Marvel及Pixar的业绩。如果迪士尼不能拍摄一些成功的原创影片，而是依赖于Pixar及Marvel所带来的成功，那么库克的这个职位在未来将变得无足轻重。”