R. Russell Hampton, Jr. has been promoted to president of Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW), replacing Deborah Dugan, who announced her resignation earlier this week. Reporting to Disney Consumer Products chairman Andy Mooney, Hampton will be based in New York and will oversee DPW’s various book and magazine properties around the world.
Hampton was general manager of Disney’s The Baby Einstein Co. when he was named exec VP of Disney Consumer Products’ global Home and Infant business in 2005. He worked with the Bay Einstein brand since Disney acquired in 2001, and was instrumental in its growth from a small video company to a significant multi-media infant developmental phenomenon.
Among the hit properties developed at Disney Publishing under Dugan’s supervision are the comic book series W.I.T.C.H., which t has sold more than 20 million copies and is now an animated TV series, and the new Disney Fairies franchise, which is spawning direct-to-video animated features. Disney Publishing Worldwide sold 160 million books in 2005 and celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
As general manager of The Baby Einstein Co., Hampton recently collaborated with Disney Channel in the development of Disney’s Little Einsteins, which is one of the most popular series on Disney Channel. He preciously served as VP of strategic planning and corporate development for The Walt Disney Co. after joining the company in 1996 as manager of strategic planning. Before joining Disney, he was VP of J.P. Morgan & Co.
