Paul Pressler

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Paul Pressler was the president and CEO of Gap, Inc. from September 2002 to 22 January 2007.[1]. He also simultaneously departed from the position on Gap's board of directors he received in October 2002.

Pressler is a director of Avon Products. He serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Before Gap he spent 15 years with The Walt Disney Company, including stints as chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, president of Disneyland, president of the Disney Store chain and senior vice president of Disney Licensing. Before joining Disney he was vice president of design and marketing for Kenner-Parker Toys.

A New York native, Pressler received a bachelors degree in business economics from the State University of New York in Oneonta, New York.

Contents

[edit] The Walt Disney Company

[edit] The Disney Store

Pressler joined The Disney Store as president in 1993 and many herald his period presiding over the chain of stores as the best in the store's history. The Store opened up hundreds of new shops all over the world, and was making larger profits for the company than the legendary Walt Disney Feature Animation at one point. Pressler's success at The Disney Store led company CEO Michael Eisner to appoint Pressler as president of the company's flagship theme park, Disneyland, in 1994, and to lead the team developing the theme park into a two-park, three-hotel resort.

[edit] Disneyland/Disneyland Resort

Paul Pressler was appointed to President of Disneyland in 1994.

In 1996, Pressler oversaw a major expansion to the area, that included a new theme park, Disney's California Adventure, two new hotels (Grand Californian, and Paradise Pier), a new shopping extension to the resort called Downtown Disney, and a new multi-story parking area.[2] The new park and hotels opened in 2001, the entire complex was named the Disneyland Resort.

In 1996, Pressler also approved a one-hundred million dollar change to one of Disneyland's attraction areas, called Tomorrowland[3]. This change would include several new attractions, and an updated 'Jules Verne' theme for the area.

However, during his tenure as president, the theme parks saw record profits, and various changes were made to not only the theme park's merchandise, but its operations.[4] However, many of these decisions we're often critized by various internet groups, and some employees. Many of these changes pushed a period of record profits for the Disney theme park division. However, after the events of September 11, 2001 (shortly after California Adventure opened), tourism to the resort had dropped.[5]

[edit] Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

After leaving Cynthia Harriss in charge of the brand new Disneyland Resort, Pressler was promoted to lead Disney's entire division of resorts all over the world including Disney's cruise line, the Disneyland Resort, the Walt Disney World Resort, the Disneyland Resort Paris, and encourage negotiations with the government of Hong Kong over the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.[6]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Company press release, 22 January 2007.[1]
  2. ^ Disney To Build $1.4 Billion California Adventure[2]
  3. ^ Disneyland to Introduce Fast Ride at $100 Million Tomorrowland [3]
  4. ^ Disneyland Launching New Merchandising Strategy[4]
  5. ^ Tourism Slump Puts Disney's Theme Parks on Roller Coaster [5]
  6. ^ http://www.mouseplanet.com/more/mm020930.htm
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