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James "Jay" Rasulo, 47, took charge of the Disney kingdom of theme parks and resorts last September, replacing Paul Pressler who moved into the CEO spot with the Gap Inc.
Rasulo rules over Disney's Tokyo, Paris, Orlando and Anaheim entertainment centers, as well as the current expansion into Hong Kong, scheduled for a 2005/2006 opening.
His 17-year Disney career has included stints with the company's strategic planning, corporate alliance and regional entertainment divisions.
However, it was Rasulo's highly lauded and visibly successful turnaround of the Disneyland Paris project that led to his selection for the current job.
Rasulo's first meeting with the media in the Magic Kingdom park was part of the typical Disney media event staged to update the company's 1-year-old safety program.
Rasulo appeared comfortable in a sport coat and open-necked shirt as he sat on a directors' chair at the theme park's train station, overlooking Main Street, U.S.A. Nearby, a portable air conditioner quietly blew a refreshing stream of cold air on a warm May morning.
Q How has the focus on safety changed since last year's announcement?
A Over the past year and a half, along with the federal, state and local government, we have focused on security around our parks in accordance with their...