Disney names Mayer, Yudkovitz to head planning

Having sharply reduced the size of its strategy planning unit back in March, Disney has appointed internet consultant Kevin Mayer to lead the corporate strategy group responsible for planning and identifying acquisitions. Mayer will be joined by former TiVo Inc president Marty Yudkovitz, who will serve as senior vice president of the group.

Disney’s ceo-elect Bob Iger said that individual operating units, such as the Disney studio or theme parks, will take on more responsibility for business planning; however, a focus on technology is one of the company’s top strategic goals and both Mayer and Yudkovitz have extensive technology backgrounds.

In a statement, Disney chief financial officer Tom Staggs said: “The corporate strategy, business development and technology group will play a pivotal role in detecting and analyzing key trends impacting our markets as well as evaluating high potential new business opportunities that leverage and extend our competitive position.”

Mayer, who focused on acquisition, due diligence and digital media technologies as a partner at LEK Consulting, previously served as executive vice president and general manager of Buena Vista Internet Group’s go.com and as chairman and chief executive of Clear Channel Interactive, the internet arm of US radio broadcaster Clear Channel.

Yudkovitz, who resigned as president of TiVo in February of this year after just two years with the company, had spent over 20 years as an executive at NBC and was involved in the launches of CNBC, MSNBC and MSNBC.com while serving as the executive in charge of the NBC/Microsoft relationship.