I thought Pressler was one of the bad guys ???

[KNWVIKING]

This is from the letter Roy & Stan just sent out:

***" * Loss of Strategic Focus, Creativity and Talent: New management is
needed to restore the magic and rekindle the creative flame -- Disney
can't afford the continued loss of talented individuals like Messrs.
Bollenbach, Burke, Katzenberg, Laybourne, Pressler, Roth and Schneider."***

Is there more then one Pressler ?

 

[airlarry!]

Paul Pre$$ler was promoted out of a job.

I have yet to find anyone on this board or any other that ever wanted him promoted out of The Disney Stores. Most observers agree that the stores flourished under his leadership.

But, it was his move to the parks that led to his downfall. The mall mentality did not sit well with the park afficianados.

Notice that Mr. Disney has been very careful not to specifically say what should have happened to Pre$$ler. I even remember a veiled comment by Mr. Gold or Mr. Disney that Cou$in Mikey did not know who to promote and who to retain--to me referring specifically to Cynthia Harri$$ and Paul Pre$$ler.

 

[lucky_bunni]

Why are you discussing Pressler, he isn't even with the company anymore and hasn't been for at least 2 years now. I understand his history there, I just don't understand why he is a current concern? Or is he? I just don't understand where this topic is coming from?!?

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by lucky_bunni
Why are you discussing Pressler, he isn't even with the company anymore and hasn't been for at least 2 years now. I understand his history there, I just don't understand why he is a current concern? Or is he? I just don't understand where this topic is coming from?!?

If you re-read the initial post, the poster is quoting from a letter that came out within the past couple of days, where dissident board members Disney and Gold are using Pressler as an example of "creative talent" that got away under the Eisner regime. Yet, for about 8-10 months prior to Pressler leaving Disney, there was a huge outcry to get Pressler OUT because he was not an effective leader for the parks.

The current question / concern is that if Pressler were so bad that everyone wanted him out, why are Disney and Gold holding him up as talent that got away?

 

[KNWVIKING]

.... for understanding the point I was trying to make.

 

[KNWVIKING]

***"I have yet to find anyone on this board or any other that ever wanted him promoted out of The Disney Stores. Most observers agree that the stores flourished under his leadership." ***

I thought the general consensus was that in the early days of DS Pressler did a great job, then turned them into plush warehouses.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

memory is suggesting that while Pressler was with the stores they were moving into, establishing the focus on the adult customer in something other than t-shirts. I remember even some wonderful eveningwear, accessories, etc.

It was when he moved over to the parks that the stores reverted to the little kiddie focus and plush warehouses.

Also that it was Pressler's retail background that escalated the "plush stops" in the parks.

He did have talent - just not for running amusement parks. The old Peter Prinicple seriously at work.

Deb

 

[airlarry!]

Your memory is correct, Mmse. Deb.

Far be it for me to be an apologist for Paul Pre$$ler, as I cannot stand what he and his legion did to the parks, but again, faulting Mr. Disney for criticising the loss of Pre$$ler without specifically stating when the loss occurred (and I do not believe that the inferences that some executives were not placed in the right positions were unintended) smacks of Ei$nerism.

Call a spade a spade. Pre$$ler was a mess in the parks, but was a creative talent who was good at mall merchandising. Why make a joke at Mr. Disney's expense if you do not understand his criticism? Notice Pre$$ler's running The Gap now, not Six Flags or Sony or Fox Animation.

 

[lucky_bunni]

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend the OP or anyone with my question. Red flags just come up when I see Paul Pressler's name mentioned because I knew he left quite a while ago. I was just confused.

 

[raidermatt]

I think its very reasonable that if one doesn't know the full Pressler story, but has seen him villified on the Internet, there would be questions about Roy's statement.

Most Disney fans don't have a problem with Pressler's handling of the stores.

More relevant is that finacially, the stores did better under his direction. (Remember who Roy is trying to convince... investors)

The problem was he was put in a job (Parks/Resorts) where his talents were not properly utilized, especially from a "Disney" pov, which is what qualifies him for Roy's list.

 

[KNWVIKING]

....***" The problem was he was put in a job (Parks/Resorts) where his talents were not properly utilized, especially from a "Disney" pov, which is what qualifies him for Roy's list. "***

10-12 months ago this board "villified" Pressler for turning the parks into plush warehouses.

Then Roy laments that Pressler is gone.

Pressler did a great job with DS.

Pressler failed in the parks.

..... So far-so good ???

From a $$$ perspective, where did he fail ? Merchendise,ie "Plush" sales soared. DTD Market Place sales are incredible. He brought those same DS talents to The World and was successful there.

I guess my confusion is not from Roys letter, but from this board. Members here who had nothing good to say about the man 10 months ago are now singing his praises simply because Roy is backing him. And those same people are also reading a lot more info into that statement then may really be there -" Well, what Roy really means is that Pressler was great when.......".

Anybody else understand my confusion ???

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING Anybody else understand my confusion ???

I'm right there with you, Viking. I remember the "promote Paul Pressler" websites and the dances of joy that were done when he left. The comments that flew after Light Magic opened, and how the man's head was called for on a platter because of "creative" decisions he made. I will agree that he was -- and continues to be -- an effective leader for merchandise-based businesses, but if the Disney/Gold camp is going to hold him up as creative talent that got away, I think they may need to be a bit more specific of what talent that is and when it manifested itself. Pressler left at a point when people were calling for his head. It wasn't like he left because Eisner was forcing out a talented and effective leader.

In fact, if we look at Eisner the same way they're looking at Pressler, then Eisner leaving could also be seen as a case of creative talent that got away simply because he was, at one point, doing great things for the company.

 

[airlarry!]

'What Roy really means?'

Point me to anything that says specifically that Mr. Disney thinks Paul Pre$$ler did a good job as President of Parks.

Anything specific. Not that he has a nice tie or that his car handles really well. Something that specifically bemoans the loss of Paul Pre$$ler's leadership in the parks.

I'll gladly eat my Promote Paul Pre$$ler pin if you do.

From a $$$ perspective, where did he fail ? Merchendise,ie "Plush" sales soared. DTD Market Place sales are incredible. He brought those same DS talents to The World and was successful there.

Spoken like a True Ei$nerian (see my quote on the bottom of my sig.)

But, M. Viking, that is not what his job as President of the Parks was. It was also to promote safety, efficiency, courtesy and good show. He may have made money for the company, but at the expense of CM satisfaction, customer happiness, cleanliness, safety, and show.

How is that a good executive?

He was a mall rat and should never have been a parks mouse.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Viking......look a little closer at Roy's words and maybe that confusion will go away. Roy talks about loss of strategic focus, creativity and talent in losing the individuals named. Don't read into it that each and every one of those guys represented the pinnacle of creativity. No, they all had a talent that was misused and if you bother to look closely at the history you can see that they very much happened with Pressler. Promoting Pressler to head of the parks from the DS where he was very successful is a good example of the loss of strategic focus Roy speaks about. Pressler was talented when focusing on that which he was good at. Then ME misused and mismanaged that talent, putting Pressler into a position where ME thought he could drive the parks in the direction that ME wanted them to go. That promotion helped to change the strategic focus of the parks, and set Pressler up for eventual failure. That didn't have to happen........and wouldn't have if ME knew his people and how to use them better.

I guess my confusion is not from Roys letter, but from this board. Members here who had nothing good to say about the man 10 months ago are now singing his praises simply because Roy is backing him.

Were folks around here calling for Pressler's head while he was running a DS that people loved? I don't think so. Actually, after Pressler left the DS and it began to go down hill I bet you could have found a lot of people who would have loved to see him back at the DS, even thought he was bungling the parks gig. Just as I can give credit to Eisner for what he did back in the mid 80's and criticize him soundly now, so can I recognize the good that Pressler did for the DS while lamenting the impact his lack of talent for running theme parks had on the parks division.

From a $$$ perspective, where did he fail ?

He failed bacause this was his only perspective (and ME knew it, that's why he put him there). Unfortunately that one perspective wasn't enough to be successful with the parks.