Michael O. Johnson | |
---|---|
President of International division of Walt Disney Company | |
In office 2000–2003 | |
CEO of Herbalife Nutrition | |
In office 2003–2020 [1] | |
Chairman and CEO Herbalife Nutrition | |
Assumed office October 2022 [2] | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1954 (age 68–69) |
Alma mater | Western Colorado University |
Occupation | Business executive |
Michael O. Johnson (born 1954) is an American business executive,who worked as the president of the international division at the Walt Disney Company and was the CEO of Herbalife Nutrition. [3] [4] [5]
Michael O. Johnson is a former CEO of Herbalife Nutrition. He previously served as President of The Walt Disney Company,Publisher of Audio Times magazine,and held roles at The Movie Channel,Nickelodeon,and MTV channels of the Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company. [6] Johnson received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Western State Colorado University.
Johnson worked at the Walt Disney Company for 17 years at Walt Disney International before he became president in 2000. During that time,he expanded Disney's international home video business and concentrated on making Disney's global operations and business relations more efficient. He created Disney subsidiaries in Asia,Europe,Africa,Latin America,and the Middle East,and increased Disney's international markets from 34 to 80. Under Johnson's leadership,Disney became the top home distribution organization,and led the company to produce over $1 billion in revenue. [6]
Johnson notably set out to acquire the film library of Japanese anime director-animator Hayao Miyazaki. Johnson had,in fact,previously commented on the allure of Miyazaki's filmography in the 1998 HBO TV special Animation,Anime,and Spawn:Cartoons Just Grew Up,"We have many animators here inside the Disney Corporation who are very...enthused by our relationship with Miyazaki and are also big fans of his." [7] While individual films by Miyazaki had previously been licensed for the U.S.,such as the Fox Video release of My Neighbor Totoro ,an acquisition of the complete film library was made difficult,as Miyazaki's relationship with international redistribution had been soured by significantly altered releases of Miyazaki's films,such as the highly edited Manson International release of Nausicaäof the Valley of the Wind as Warriors of the Wind . [8] After some negotiations,Johnson's team was able to secure the rights to Miyazaki's complete library.
Johnson joined Herbalife Nutrition as CEO in 2003,and served as Chairman beginning in 2007. [9] [3]
Johnson emphasized the need to pivot the Herbalife brand away from being exclusively concerned with weight-loss products and the broader perceptions associated with multi-level marketing,a view which he described in an interview with Fortune Magazine as,“When I took over in 2003,Herbalife was a multilevel-marketing company that sold nutrition products. Now it’s a nutrition company that uses multilevel marketing as its distribution channel.” [4] To achieve this,Johnson instituted quality controls,moved Herbalife's product manufacturing to be in-house,and widened Herbalife's product offerings. [4] To emphasize Herbalife's new focus on general fitness and nutrition,Johnson expanded its sports sponsorships to include more than 200 teams and athletes,such as Cristiano Ronaldo,as well as company sponsorship of the LA Galaxy professional soccer team. [10] [4] Johnson also sought to minimize company claims to distributors around exceptional “business opportunity" to set a more realistic tone during pitches. [4]
Johnson came to prominence between 2012 and 2015 following a short sale of Herbalife stock by Bill Ackman and his hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management. Ackman alleged that Herbalife is a pyramid scheme and built a billion-dollar short position in Herbalife stock. [11] Ackman's short position was widely covered by American media outlets and was the subject of the documentary Betting on Zero .
Johnson transitioned to the position of Executive Chairman in 2017,before returning to the role of Chairman and CEO in 2019. During this time,Herbalife Nutrition grew its net sales from $1.1 billion in 2003 to $4.4 billion in 2017.
Johnson was made interim CEO at the beginning of 2019 following the resignation of Richard Goudis. [12]
In October 2022,Michael O. Johnson was named Chairman and interim Chief Executive Officer following the departure of Dr. John Agwunobi. [2]
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator,filmmaker,and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli,he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films,and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation.
My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. It stars the voices of Noriko Hidaka,Chika Sakamoto and Hitoshi Takagi,and focuses on two young sisters and their interactions with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan.
Nausicaäof the Valley of the Wind is a 1984 Japanese post-apocalyptic anime fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki,based on his 1982 manga. It was animated by Topcraft for Tokuma Shoten and Hakuhodo,and distributed by Toei Company. Joe Hisaishi,in his first collaboration with Miyazaki,composed the score. The film stars the voices of Sumi Shimamoto,GorōNaya,Yōji Matsuda,Yoshiko Sakakibara and Iemasa Kayumi. Set in a post-nuclear futuristic world,it tells the story of Nausicaä(Shimamoto),the teenage princess of the Valley of the Wind who becomes embroiled in a struggle with Tolmekia,a kingdom that tries to use an ancient weapon to eradicate a jungle full of giant mutant insects.
Studio Ghibli,Inc. is a Japanese animation studio based in Koganei,Tokyo. It has a strong presence in the animation industry and has expanded its portfolio to include various media formats,such as short subjects,television commercials,and two television films. Their work has been well-received by audiences and recognized with numerous awards. Their mascot and most recognizable symbol,the character Totoro,is a giant spirit inspired by raccoon dogs (tanuki) and cats from the 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro. Among the studio's highest-grossing films are Spirited Away (2001),Howl's Moving Castle (2004),and Ponyo (2008). Studio Ghibli was founded on June 15,1985,by the directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki,after acquiring Topcraft's assets. The studio has also collaborated with video game studios on the visual development of several games.
Kiki's Delivery Service is a 1989 Japanese animated fantasy film written,produced and directed by Hayao Miyazaki,based on the 1985 novel by Eiko Kadono. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten,Yamato Transport and the Nippon Television Network,and stars the voices of Minami Takayama,Rei Sakuma and Kappei Yamaguchi. The story follows Kiki,a young witch who moves to the port city of Koriko with her cat Jiji and starts a flying courier service.
Ghibli Experimental Theater On Your Mark is an animated music video created by Studio Ghibli for the song "On Your Mark" by the Japanese rock duo Chage &Aska. The song was released in 1994 as part of the single "Heart". In 1995,Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed the short film for the song as a side-project after having writer's block with Princess Mononoke. The anime music video is non-linear,providing multiple reiterations and alternate scenes to depict the events. The music video added sound effects to the audio track,but contains no dialogue. Miyazaki purposely misinterpreted the lyrics to present his vision of a world where the surface becomes inhospitable and humans live in an underground city. He made the video cryptic to evoke creative interpretations among viewers.
Herbalife Nutrition Ltd.,also called Herbalife International,Inc. or simply Herbalife,is a global multi-level marketing (MLM) corporation that develops and sells dietary supplements. The company has been alleged to have fraudulently operated a pyramid scheme. Some products sold by Herbalife have caused acute hepatitis. The business is incorporated in the Cayman Islands,a tax haven,with its corporate headquarters located in Los Angeles,California.
The Walt Disney Studios is a major division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of The Walt Disney Company best known for housing its multifaceted film studio divisions. Founded on October 16,1923,and based mainly at the namesake studio lot in Burbank,California,it is the seventh-oldest global film studio and the fifth-oldest in the United States,a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and one of the "Big Five" major film studios.
Robert Allen Iger is an American media business executive who serves as the chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company. He previously served as the President of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) between 1994 and 1995 and as president and chief operating officer (COO) of Capital Cities/ABC,from 1995 until its acquisition by Disney in 1996. Iger was named president of Disney in 2000 and succeeded Michael Eisner as CEO in 2005,until his contract expired in 2020. He then served as executive chairman until his retirement from the company on December 31,2021. After his exit from the company,Iger served,at the company's request,as an advisor to his successor. Iger was awarded $2 million per year for such advice. However,at the request of Disney's board of directors,Iger returned to Disney as CEO on November 20,2022,following the unscheduled and immediate dismissal of his appointed successor,Bob Chapek. In July 2023,Disney renewed Iger's contract until 2026.
Toshio Suzuki is a Japanese film producer of anime and a long-time colleague of Hayao Miyazaki,as well as a co-founder and the president of Studio Ghibli. Suzuki is renowned as one of Japan's most successful producers after the enormous box office success of many Ghibli films.
Nausicaäof the Valley of the Wind is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki. It tells the story of Nausicaä,a princess of a small kingdom on a post-apocalyptic Earth with a toxic ecosystem,who becomes involved in a war between kingdoms while an environmental disaster threatens humankind.
John O. Agwunobi is a Scottish-born Nigerian-American former public health official,pediatrician,and the former chief executive officer and executive chairman of Herbalife Nutrition. He was formerly senior vice-president of Walmart and president of the retailer's health and wellness business from 2007 to 2014.
William Albert Ackman is an American billionaire hedge fund manager who is the founder and chief executive officer of Pershing Square Capital Management,a hedge fund management company. His investment approach has made him an activist investor. As of June 2023,Ackman's net worth was estimated at $3.5 billion by Forbes.
Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution (DMED),formerly Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer &International (DTCI),was one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments consisting of Disney's streaming services and overseas media businesses,formed in March 2018. As part of the segment's formation,Disney Streaming Services was placed under Direct-to-Consumer &International.
Whisper of the Heart is a 1995 Japanese animated romantic drama film directed by Yoshifumi Kondōand written by Hayao Miyazaki based on the 1989 manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten,Nippon Television Network and Hakuhodo. The film stars Yoko Honna,Issei Takahashi,Takashi Tachibana,Shigeru Muroi,Shigeru Tsuyuguchi and Keiju Kobayashi.
Pershing Square Capital Management is an American hedge fund management company founded and run by Bill Ackman,headquartered in New York City.
Topcraft Co.,Ltd. was an animation studio established on February 1,1972,by former Toei Animation producer Toru Hara,and located in Tokyo,Japan. It was famous for the production of Nausicaäof the Valley of the Wind and for doing animation for hand-drawn animation titles by Rankin/Bass Productions. The studio went bankrupt and dissolved on June 15,1985,essentially splitting the studio in half. Hayao Miyazaki,Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata acquired the assets and formed Studio Ghibli. Topcraft's founder,Toru Hara,became Studio Ghibli's first manager. Topcraft's animators later formed another studio,called Pacific Animation Corporation,to continue working with Rankin/Bass on television shows like ThunderCats and Silverhawks, but eventually joined Ghibli once Pacific Animation was bought out by The Walt Disney Company and became Walt Disney Animation Japan. Some animators,like Tsuguyuki Kubo,went to work for other studios,such as Studio Pierrot,working on Naruto and Bleach for them. Toru Hara died on December 14,2021,at the age of 85.
Disney Digital Network was an American multi-channel network located in Culver City,California. It was originally the successor to Maker Studios,co-founded by Lisa Donovan,Danny Zappin,Scott Katz,Kassem Gharaibeh,Shay Carl,Rawn Erickson II,Ben Donovan,and Philip DeFranco in 2009. Maker Studios was originally conceived as an incubator for YouTube talent through the use of Super Channels like The Station. Maker Studios adopted the multi-channel network (MCN) model after the initial model failed to take root. Maker Studios was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2014 for $500 million,and was absorbed into the newly formed Disney Digital Network in 2017.
The Wind Rises is a 2013 Japanese animated historical drama film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki,animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network,Dentsu,Hakuhodo DY Media Partners,Walt Disney Japan,Mitsubishi,Toho and KDDI. It was released in Japan on 20 July 2013 by Toho,and in North America by Touchstone Pictures on 21 February 2014.
Betting on Zero is a 2016 American documentary directed by Ted Braun. It investigates the allegation that Herbalife is a pyramid scheme,and follows Bill Ackman's short investment in Herbalife,which is ostensibly a billion-dollar bet that the company will soon collapse.