John E. Pepper Jr. A GOOD GAMBLE
When he was CEO of Proctor & Gamble, John Pepper was one of several chief execs forced to disrupt its chummy corporate culture. As the newly appointed nonexecutive chairman of the Walt Disney Co., he may aim to keep things calm. A shareholder revolt forced the board to remove CEO Michael Eisner as chairman in 2004 and opt for a nonexec chair. Although Pepper lacks media experience, A.G. Edwards analyst Michael Kupinski says Disney will benefit from Pepper's global-branding background as it expands worldwide. With shares up 30% since October, Disney's shareholders have been...