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George Bodenheimer is an ESPN and cable industry pioneer and, as the company's longest-tenured President (13 years, 1998-Dec. 31, 2011), he led an unprecedented period of global growth. He oversaw all multimedia sports assets of The Walt Disney Company from March 3, 2003 - December 31, 2011 and was co-chairman, Disney Media Networks from April 20, 2004 - December 31, 2011. In January 2012, he assumed the position of Executive Chairman, ESPN, Inc. In that capacity, he provided strategic direction for ESPN's global business until he chose to leave the company May 31, 2014.
From December 18, 2017, into March 2018, Bodenheimer returned to the company as Acting Chair to provide interim leadership as ESPN identified Jimmy Pitaro as the successor to John Skipper.
In 2015 Bodenheimer published a business leadership memoir, Every Town Is a Sports Town: Business Leadership at ESPN, from the Mailroom to the Boardroom. He joined the faculty at Iona College in 2017 in the School of Business division of Sports, Entertainment and Media to co-teach a course titled "Leadership and Management in Sports, Entertainment, & Media."
Bodenheimer's path to leadership mirrors that of ESPN itself - with his sharp focus on creativity and cutting-edge innovation, always enhancing value for sports fans and ESPN's business partners, and his conviction for teamwork. He believes ESPN's culture is the company's strategic advantage. As President, he viewed his primary role as working hard to preserve and enhance that culture while emphasizing career development for all of ESPN's people.
Consistent and substantive growth defined Bodenheimer's tenure as President, leading to unprecedented success. His leadership style was simple but effective: empower all employees to proactively take charge of their careers and to base decisions on the company's stated mission: "Serve Sports Fans. Anytime. Anywhere." He launched a company priority process that engaged all employees to drive business initiatives. His vision created a vibrant, innovative workplace.
Since 1998 when Bodenheimer took over as President, through the time of his appointment as Executive Chairman, ESPN grew to:
Eight domestic television networks, up from four 12 HD services, from 0 Nearly 100 million households for ESPN and ESPN2, from 75 and 62 million, respectively 48 international television networks, from 20 13 international SportsCenter editions, from 0 18 web sites, from one 750 ESPN Radio affiliates nationwide, from 620 7,000 employees worldwide, from 1,900
