BURBANK, Calif. — January 13, 2012 — Rich Ross, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, announced today that Ricky Strauss has been named President of Marketing for The Walt Disney Studios. Strauss will oversee the Studios’ global marketing strategy encompassing creative, media, digital, promotions, publicity, research and synergy across all distribution channels for motion pictures released under the Walt Disney Pictures (including Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Animation), Marvel Studios, and Touchstone Pictures banners, which includes DreamWorks Studios films released via Touchstone.

“I am happy to welcome Ricky Strauss to The Walt Disney Studios family. With 25 years of industry experience, he brings a deep understanding of all aspects of the film business as well as incredible skill in branding and cutting-edge marketing,” said Ross. “He will undoubtedly raise the Studios’ creative bar as we enter 2012 and look ahead at showcasing a spectacular slate of films to audiences around the world.”

“The future of Disney movies is as exciting as the legacy, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to be a part of that. Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and DreamWorks Studios are among the world’s best and brightest brands,” said Strauss. “My experience at Participant has been incredible and I’m so proud of my colleagues and everything we accomplished. I look forward now to getting to work with the exceptional team at Disney, doing some of the most innovative marketing in the industry.”

A 25-year movie veteran, Strauss has created award-winning marketing campaigns for numerous feature films and has overseen all aspects of film production. He most recently served as President of Participant Media, where he oversaw the company’s marketing, production, and acquisition for a broad range of socially relevant and commercially viable films including this summer’s blockbuster The Help, acclaimed features The Kite Runner, The Visitor, and Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, as well as documentaries such as Food, Inc. and the Academy Award®-winning An Inconvenient Truth and The Cove. Prior to joining Participant in 2005, Strauss founded Sony-based Ricochet Entertainment, where he executive-produced the Cameron Diaz film The Sweetest Thing. He also spent 16 years at Sony, where he served as a senior marketing executive (Columbia/TriStar Pictures) and later as Senior Vice President of Production.

Chris Arrant

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