Paul Yanover Named Senior Vice President, General Manager of The Walt Disney Company's Newly Formed Buena Vista Game Entertainment Studio

Paul Yanover has been named senior vice president and general manager of The Walt Disney Company's newly formed business unit, Buena Vista Game Entertainment Studio, it was announced today by Jan Smith, president of Buena Vista Game Entertainment Studio and Disney Interactive

Yanover will oversee all aspects of operations, including business, creative and product development, and strategic planning for the newly created entity.

Announced in September, Buena Vista Game Entertainment Studio was formed to leverage Disney's creative content in the development of innovative, new interactive entertainment products for kids and families. The new business unit will enhance the company's existing interactive game activities and bring together a strategy to integrate a number of emerging technologies including connected video game consoles, broadband cable, wireless connectivity and set-top TV boxes.

"Paul Yanover has an extensive, unique background in the merging of technology and entertainment that makes him ideally suited to oversee this business," said Jan Smith, president, Buena Vista Game Entertainment Studio.

"As a former employee of The Walt Disney Company, serving as vice president of technology and digital production for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Paul's mission was to bring computer-generated technology to the art of animation, creating a new kind of entertainment for the digital age. I am confident he will bring that same expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to Buena Vista Game Entertainment Studio. This is a unique opportunity to broaden the reach of interactive games, enhance the quality across multiple platforms, and deliver an exciting entertainment experience to consumers."

Yanover's extensive technology and entertainment background includes eight years at The Walt Disney Company in Feature Animation. Eventually becoming vice president of technology and digital production for that business, Yanover was responsible for all aspects of technology, including technical development, software development and support, and the management of all digital artists producing computer-generated imagery (CGI) on all feature films.

In 1999, Yanover left Disney to co-found a new business, Ceiva Logic, Inc., which launched an Internet-based product, the Internet-connected digital picture frame, currently on the market.

Yanover holds a Master of Science degree in computer science from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Science degree in computers and economics from the University of Western Ontario.

He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters.

--posted December 12, 2001

Source: Disney Interactive Press Release