Anne Sweeney, Disney/ABC Television Group president and Disney Media Networks co-chair, has been named MIPCOM 2011 Personality of the Year, Reed MIDEM announced Thursday.
Sweeney, who is the first woman ever to receive this honor, will accept the award on Oct. 5 at a gala dinner as part of the 27th annual MIPCOM, which will be held from Oct. 3-6 at the Palais des Festivals, in Cannes, France. Sweeney will deliver a keynote address at the event for the market's Media Mastermind series of presentations.
"We are extremely pleased to honor Anne Sweeney as our MIPCOM 2011 Personality of the Year in recognition of her unparalleled contributions to the global entertainment industry," said Paul Zilk, chief executive of Reed MIDEM. "Of special note is her contribution to the expansion of Disney's portfolio of channels, brands and programming worldwide, as well as her visionary leadership in fostering content on emerging digital platforms."
In her role at Disney/ABC Television Group, Sweeney led the initiative to provide Disney/ABC Television Group's content on digital platforms, including iTunes, an online player and an iPad app, alongside leading the group's international VOD distribution deals. She joined the Walt Disney Company in 1996 as president of the Disney Channel and executive vice president of Disney/ABC Cable Networks.
