Burbank, Ca., USA - July 30, 2014, Burbank, Ca., USA - The Walt Disney Company announces that Paul Candland has been named to the newly created position of president, The Walt Disney Company, Asia, with oversight of Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Greater China.
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Mr. Candland joined Disney in 1998 as representative director and general manager of Disney Store Japan, overseeing operations at some 80 locations. In 2002, he became managing director of Walt Disney Television International (Japan), and was responsible for launching both the Disney Channel and Toon Disney in Japan.
In 2007 he was named president of TWDC Japan. Prior to joining Disney, Mr. Candland worked at Pepsi-Cola Co. for more than 10 years. In 1994 he was named president of Okinawa Pepsi-Cola, and subsequently served as the Japan representative for Pepsi-Cola International. Mr. Candland holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University.
In addition, Stanley Cheung, managing director of TWDC Greater China, has been promoted to chairman of TWDC Greater China.
Mr. Cheung was named managing director of TWDC China in 2004, and has been responsible for driving the company’s strategy and coordinating its business efforts in China. He joined Disney from Johnson & Johnson (China) Ltd., where he served as managing director. From 1996-2001, Mr. Cheung worked for Pillsbury Co. in Shanghai, serving in a series of positions culminating in managing director, North Asia.
Previously, Mr. Cheung worked for the China division of Pepsi-Cola International. He started his career with Proctor & Gamble. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and an MBA from Indiana University.
Senior vice president Luke Kang will assume Mr. Cheung’s former role as managing director of TWDC Greater China.
Mr. Kang will have direct oversight of Disney’s businesses in Greater China, excluding Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, which report to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs. Mr. Kang joined Disney in 2011 as senior vice president and managing director of The Walt Disney Company (Korea) Ltd.
Prior to Disney, Mr. Kang was chief operating officer at Live 365, an internet radio company based in Silicon Valley. He also held various senior management roles at MTV Networks in Asia Pacific, including senior vice president of strategy and business development for Asia Pacific, head of Asia Pacific digital media, and managing director of Korea. ■