Disney IMG Hires Yahoo’s Mark L. Walter for Disney Websites

Press Release

Mark L. Walker has joined Disney Interactive Media Group (DIMG) as senior vice president of Disney.com, it was announced today by DIMG Co-President James Pitaro. Formerly the head of the Yahoo! News and Information properties, Walker will oversee all product development, marketing, programming and operations for Disney-branded websites, including Disney.com. He will be based in North Hollywood and report to James Pitaro.

As the leader of Yahoo! News, Walker transformed the online property from a leading news aggregation platform into the premier source of original reporting and premium original video programming, with industry-leading social media activation. He personalized the Yahoo! News experience for consumers through seamless front page, social and local news content integration. He also developed, launched and sold innovative video news programs, including many of the most streamed video series on the Internet.

“Mark has tremendous expertise in the online space, having created industry-leading online experiences for consumers, as well as identifying new business and revenue stream opportunities,” said Pitaro. “He will be an outstanding addition to the DIMG leadership team and hugely instrumental in the enhancement of our Disney-branded web experiences.”

Prior to taking the helm at Yahoo! News, Walker was the vice president of business development for Yahoo! Media, responsible for leading the business development teams in entertainment, sports and lifestyle content. Walker was the Co-Principal of Oceanaix Ventures LLC, an investment and consulting firm focused on traditional and digital media businesses. He has also held top business and legal affairs positions for several entertainment media companies in music, film and television.