(4 July 2005 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company has tapped Kevin Mayer and former TiVo president Marty Yudkovitz for its new corporate strategy, business development and technology group.

Mayer will head the division as its executive VP. He will report to Disney senior executive VP and CFO Tom Staggs.

He was most recently partner and head of the Global Media and Entertainment practice at L.E.K. Consulting. Before that he was chairman and CEO of Clear Channel Interactive and president and CEO of Playboy.com. He is also a former Disney executive, having worked at the Walt Disney Internet Group.

Yudkovitz joins the division as senior VP, reporting to Mayer. He will take a lead role in identifying and executing new business opportunities. He was most recently Tivo president. Earlier he was at NBC in a variety of senior management roles, including NBC Digital Media president.

The group will target emerging businesses new to Disney's existing portfolio, manage cross-divisional issues and opportunities, and evaluate new technology and business models. The group will also be responsible for aiding in the evaluation of potential acquisition transactions. Staggs said, "The corporate strategy, business development and technology group will play a pivotal role in detecting and analysing key trends impacting our markets. The group will also evaluate high potential new business opportunities that leverage and extend our competitive position”.