MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (India) has named Mahesh Samat as managing director.

The announcement was made by Walt Disney International president Andy Bird. Samat will be based in Mumbai and will report to Bird.

Samat joins Disney from Johnson & Johnson, where he was most recently MD, Southern Europe, J&J Vision Care, based out of London.

In his new responsibility, Samat will manage all of the existing Disney businesses in India, except the ESPN/Star Sports joint venture, with all local business segments. "The strong equity and heritage of Disney globally against the backdrop of India‘s rich cultural and media environment make for endless possibilities and significant growth opportunities. I am truly excited to work with our talented team in shaping the future of Disney in India," said Samat.

"International growth is of particular importance to Disney and Samat‘s experiences within India and worldwide will serve Disney well as we grow all of our businesses in this market," said Bird.

Samat has had over 20 years of experience across India, Asia-Pacific and Europe. He joined J&J in 2000 where he held various positions in management and marketing.