Argentina’s Diego Lerner, an instrumental figure in The Walt Disney Company’s expansion in Latin America and Europe since the 90s, died on December 18th in Buenos Aires at the age of 71 after a long illness, as reported by Variety.
After joining Disney in 1990 as executive director of its video and pay-TV divisions for Latin America, he undertook a series of moves that would later be seen as textbook corporate strategy. These included launching direct distribution operations in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina—efforts designed to reflect local market realities while, more importantly, curbing widespread piracy across the region.
Driving Disney’s growth in Latin America from 1990 to 2009, his success led to an appointment as president of Disney’s Europe, Middle East, and North Africa operations from 2009 to 2017. He later returned to his position in Latin America in 2018.
Disney and CEO Bob Iger praised his immeasurable contributions to the company’s storytelling legacy, while colleagues and creatives gathered privately to honor him.
“We extend our deepest condolences to Diego’s family as well as to his friends and all who are touched by this loss. I know I speak for all of us at Disney in acknowledging just how much Diego will be missed, but I’m very grateful for our nearly 35 years of collaboration and friendship,” said Bob Iger, CEO The Walt Disney Company.
In Latin America, Lerner played a central role in scaling Disney alongside the region’s pay-TV boom, launching key channels including Disney Channel, Jetix, and Playhouse Disney, and integrating Disney’s businesses into a unified vertical model that became a template for international operations. His work in Europe, based in London, focused on strengthening consumer affinity during a period when the industry was beginning to transition from linear television to streaming.
Throughout his career, Lerner consistently argued that technology was secondary to content quality, emphasizing that “scripts are still king.”
“(The key to success is) not technology but storytelling. What matters is the quality of content. Scripts are still king,” as he told Spanish-language website ConverCom in 2019.
Lerner was also a strong advocate for local production long before it became a global streaming strategy, backing major Latin American film and television projects and later overseeing an expansive slate of Disney+ originals across Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia. He was personally involved in developing hit series such as “Violetta,” “Monzón,” “Santa Evita,” and “The Boss,” among others.
One of his most notable achievements came between 2019 and 2021, when he successfully secured long-term rights to Argentina’s Primera Division soccer for ESPN despite political, regulatory, and competitive obstacles—underscoring his reputation as a skilled strategist, negotiator, and entrepreneur who could operate effectively at both creative and political levels.
For more details on Diego’s impressive life and career and his impact within The Walt Disney Company, check out the original article from Variety.
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