Bill Ernest is the President and Managing Director, Asia, for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. He assumed this new role in April 2008. Ernest was formally the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a resort built by the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong on reclaimed land beside Penny's Bay, at the northeastern tip of Lantau Island, approximately two kilometres from Discovery Bay...

. Ernest was named to the position in January 2006, replacing Disney veteran Don Robinson

Don Robinson (executive)

Don C. Robinson is president of Baha Mar Resorts Ltd., a position he has held since January 2006.Previously, Robinson spent 34 years in various roles with The Walt Disney Company, most recently as executive vice president and group managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.-External links:*...

. Previously, Ernest served as managing director of operations at the Hong Kong resort.

Before joining Disney in 1994 as general manager of Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort is a Disney Vacation Club Resort located in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Designed by Cooper, Robertson & Partners, it opened on March 1, 1996....

, Ernest opened more than 40 hotels for Marriott Corporation

Marriott Corp.

Marriott Corporation was a hospitality company that operated from 1927–1993, founded originally by J. Willard Marriott and Frank Kimball as Hot Shoppes, Inc. In 1957, Marriott Corporation opened its first hotel in Arlington County, Virginia, United States as the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel...

.

After the Hilton Head position, Ernest was promoted to general manager of field businesses, where he was responsible for incorporating Disney's Vero Beach Resort

Disney's Vero Beach Resort

Disney's Vero Beach Resort is a Disney Vacation Club resort located in Vero Beach, Florida. The resort was the first Disney Vacation Club resort to be constructed outside of the Walt Disney World Resort area.- Accommodations :...

 into the company's Disney Vacation Club

Disney Vacation Club

Disney Vacation Club is a vacation timeshare division owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. It allows buying real estate interest in a DVC resort. Disney Vacation Club's President is Claire Bilby....

 timeshare program.

He later served as general manager of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is a resort which is located in the Walt Disney World Resort. It is located in the Epcot area of Walt Disney World, close to the waterpark Typhoon Lagoon and is classified as a moderately priced resort. The resort started operating on October 1, 1988 and is owned and...

, Disney's All-Star Sports Resort

Disney's All-Star Sports Resort

Disney's All-Star Sports Resort is a resort that is part of the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of four Resorts in the Value Resort category, along with Disney's All-Star Music Resort, Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, and Disney's Pop Century Resort. The resort is located on the southern...

, Disney's All-Star Music Resort

Disney's All-Star Music Resort

Disney's All-Star Music Resort is a resort that is part of the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of four resorts in the Value Resort category, along with Disney's All-Star Sports Resort, Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, and Disney's Pop Century Resort. The resort is located on the southern...

 and Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

Disney's All-Star Movies Resort is a resort hotel located at the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of four Disney Resorts in the "Value" category along with Disney's All-Star Sports Resort, Disney's All-Star Music Resort, and Disney's Pop Century Resort. The resort is located on the southern...

 at Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...

 and vice president of operations and support for Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of The Walt Disney Company and is headquartered in Celebration, Florida. The business is run by President Karl Holz. Disney Cruise Line operates the Disney Cruise Line Terminal,...

.

Ernest received bachelor's and master's degrees in hospitality management and recreational management from Southern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...

. A high school football player, he turned down a football scholarship to attend the Phillips Exeter Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...

. He is married with two children, those children are now grown.

External links

• Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Official site