Disney names Chapek chairman of parks and resorts

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co named consumer products chief Bob Chapek the new chairman of its parks and resorts division, the company said in a statement on Monday. Chapek replaces Thomas Staggs, who was appointed Disney's chief operating officer earlier this month. In the new role, Chapek will oversee a unit that employs 130,000 people around the world and is preparing to open a $5.5 billion theme park in Shanghai next year. Chapek, 55, has worked at Disney for 22 years, and has served as president of the consumer products unit since 2011. At consumer products, Chapek turned the division into one of the media company's fastest-growing segments, in part by organizing it around franchises rather than product categories. The unit reported operating income of $626 million for the quarter that ended in December, a 46 percent gain from a year earlier. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Chris Reese and Nick Zieminski)