Mark Handler was the executive vice president and managing director of the Walt Disney Internet Group International. Handler was in charge of developing and leading WDIG's international wire line and its mobile strategies for Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America. He managed an assortment of businesses in these parts of the world, including: Disney's broadband offerings, downloadable internet games, twenty five localized versions of Disney.com, ToonTown, one expansive multiplayer online game, and Disney Mobile services. These services are now open to people living in 35 different international territories. Handler also served as the president of Disney TeleVentures. In this position, he was in control of the development of broadband applications for television. In addition to this, Handler fulfilled the creative, programming, marketing and technological functions that Disney performed in connection with Americast®, a joint venture between Ameritech, GTE, SBC Communications, and BellSouth.
The Disney Channel
Before his employment with Disney TeleVentures, he was the senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Disney Channel. Here, he was accountable for customer and member marketing, as well as overseeing relationships with more than 8,000 affiliates. Handler was instrumental in transitioning the Disney Channel from a pay TV model to a straightforward tier cable channel. During his tenure, the subscription base grew from one million to fifteen million subscriptions. Prior to his union with Disney, Handler spent six years with Cox Communications, working in marketing and several general management positions. Handler was also named executive vice president, international, for GO.com, the internet business of The Walt Disney Company which later would be renamed to Walt Disney Internet Group.
International Internet operations
A fifteen-year Disney veteran, Handler was tasked with further developing the Walt Disney Internet Group's international expansion in Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America. He oversees a variety of businesses in all of these regions. Some of these include more than twenty localized versions of Disney.com, as well as ESPN.com and Soccernet, Europe's leading football site. His work was reported to Steve Bornstein, the chairman at the time. Handler helped develop parts of the Disney strategy in the United States but was also influential in the InfoSeek brand's popularity in Japan. In addition, he was responsible for launching the Disney Company's first Chinese language website. In 2001, Disney.com.cn was launched with the announcement being made in Beijing in conjunction with Disney's partner SeaRainbow Holding Corp.
Handler is on the Colorado Technical University board of trustees. He is also on the board of the interactive online digital media company called DeskSite.
