He’s been credited with successfully building one of the largest, diversified media and entertainment houses in the country. And after spending well over a decade at the helm, it was announced recently that Uday Shankar would be stepping down from his role as president, The Walt Disney Company APAC and chairman, Star and Disney India effective 31 December, 2020. According to a statement released by The Walt Disney Company, over the next three months Shankar will work closely with Rebecca Campbell, chairman of Disney’s direct-to-consumer and international segment, to identify his successor and ensure a smooth transition. The media veteran has a rich legacy in this space, having taken charge of Star India in 2007 as CEO and being tasked with growing the broadcast firm into a diversified media entity. Under his leadership, it is said to have grown to become a Rs18,000-crore conglomerate. Speaking about his decision to step down, Shankar said in the same statement that he will be looking forward to focusing on mentoring a new generation of entrepreneurs. “As I look back on this journey, I take pride in having set ambitious goals in my professional career, and achieving all that we set out to do. For some time now, I have been contemplating the question of how I give back to the country, community and the industry that have given me so much. I think the best way to express my gratitude to all of them will be to support and mentor a new generation of entrepreneurs as they set out to create transformational solutions that will have a positive impact on countless lives.” He added that the intention is to partner with global investors and pioneers to achieve this.
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Shankar: rich legacy; Photo: Sanjay Borade
