Bio: Michael Eisner

Having spent 21 years as the CEO of Disney, and despite the fact that he stepped down in 2005, Michael Eisner is still very much the person that comes to mind when you think about the Mouse House.

And because of his experience and a vast network of contacts, Eisner has remained a key presence in the Hollywood scene. Post-Disney, his imprint is branded on such diverse ventures as the online video site Veoh; the video production company Vuguru; the children’s entertainment company Team Baby; and the baseball card company Topps.

But his biggest creation to date is the venture capital firm The Tornante Company, founded in 2005 and funded by private investment.

Eisner attended Denison University and majored in English. After school, he tried his hand in playwriting before joining ABC and Paramount. He became CEO of Disney in 1984.