2009 Commencement Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Alan Bergman, BA ’88 Business Economics

President
The Walt Disney Studios

As President of The Walt Disney Studios, Alan Bergman is responsible for strategy and operations for all business units including Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production which includes the Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures banners, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Miramax, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Marketing and Distribution, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Disney Theatrical Group, Disney Music Group, Disney-ABC Worldwide Television and Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Additionally, he is responsible for areas of Finance, Technology, Business and Legal Affairs and Human Resources.

Among Bergman's key initiatives is to continue to explore new business ventures, to grow the Studio business both domestically and internationally, and to keep The Walt Disney Studios at the forefront in the entertainment industry by exploring new worldwide distribution channels as well as the newest in technological advancements.

A strong leader and business strategist with a solid track record, Bergman was the architect of the Miramax settlement and responsible for designing the division's new structure. He was also a key player in the negotiations of the acquisition of Pixar, and most recently he was involved in the negotiations of the long-term live-action distribution deal with DreamWorks.

Bergman joined the company in 1996 as a director in the corporate controllership group with a focus on TWDS' initiatives. In 1998, he was promoted to vice president of the Company's Operations Planning group, where he was responsible for developing the company's annual operating plan. In 2001, Bergman was promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer of TWDS and was upped to executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2002.

Prior to joining Disney, Bergman spent more than seven years at PricewaterhouseCoopers in their entertainment practice. He joined PricewaterhouseCoopers after graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor’s in Business Economics in 1988. Bergman currently resides in Brentwood with his wife, Pamela, and 2 sons.