Disney Animation, Theater Head Named President of Disney Studios.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 1999--Peter Schneider, formerly president of Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, has been promoted to president of The Walt Disney Studios, reporting to Joe Roth, chairman of Studios.

The announcement was made Thursday by Roth and Michael D. Eisner, Disney chairman and CEO.

In his new role as president of The Walt Disney Studios, Schneider, working with Roth, will oversee the creative development, production, marketing, and distribution of all Disney-branded entertainment products, including feature animation, live action, TV animation, Sunday Night movie and theatrical productions.

"Peter has delivered outstanding performances in every endeavor he has undertaken since joining the Company in 1985," said Eisner. "While the breadth of his new responsibilities will be wide, he has consistently demonstrated the creative and management capacity to handle the broad range of duties he will now shoulder. With this promotion, we are consolidating all Disney Studios operations under Joe Roth."

"Over the last four years, Joe has skillfully taken on an increasing amount of responsibility, including television production, home video and music. This Studio change is part of our continuing effort to simplify and streamline our organizational structure worldwide."

Roth said, "Peter's new role will make it certain that we will continue to deliver the high quality that is associated with the Disney name. I am thrilled to have him at my side as we go forward."

Schneider, 48, will also consult on all live entertainment at Disney theme parks worldwide to assure the integrity and consistency of portrayal of Disney animated characters in company media and venues.

Schneider joined Disney in 1985 as head of animation, and working with Disney Vice Chairman Roy E. Disney, played a key creative and leadership role in what has been hailed as "Disney's second Golden Age of animation."

During his tenure, films such as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," "Toy Story," "Mulan" and "A Bug's Life" resulted in a renaissance in the animated feature genre, winning vast new audiences and nearly universal critical and financial success in theaters around the world.

Under Schneider's leadership, Walt Disney Feature Animation and Theatrical Productions have garnered great praise for such projects as "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), which was the first animated film to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture; the landmark computer-animated film, "Toy Story," which inaugurated Disney's partnership with Pixar Animation Studios and was the highest grossing film in 1995; and "The Lion King," which became the most successful release in Disney history and one of the highest grossing films of all time.

Working as co-producer with Thomas Schumacher, executive vice president of Feature Animation and Walt Disney Theatrical productions, Schneider helped achieve an innovative transformation of "The Lion King" into a Broadway musical which received unprecedented critical and popular acclaim on its way to winning six 1998 Tony Awards, including the coveted Best New Musical.

Prior to joining Disney, Schneider had a distinguished career in the performing arts. He served as associate director of the Los Angeles Olympics Arts Festival beginning in 1984 where he was responsible for producing the theater component of the festival including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Le Theatre du Soleil and Piccolo Teatro di Milano.

Earlier in his career, Schneider directed plays at the WPA, Playwrights Horizon and Circle Repertory Theater in New York. He also produced more than 60 dramatic and musical plays as managing director of Chicago's St. Nicholas Theater, and contributed to many productions in London's West End as the general manager for Apollo Theater Productions.

Schneider is a graduate of Purdue University where he earned a bachelor's degree in theater.