Robert A. Daly

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Bob Daly
Bob Daly
Born	Brooklyn, NY
Spouse	Carole Bayer Sager

Over the course of his career, Robert A. Daly has led such renowned organizations as Warner Bros., Warner Music Group, The Los Angeles Dodgers and CBS Entertainment. Today he remains involved in the entertainment industry, while also devoting considerable time to charitable work.

Daly serves as a non-executive advisor to Viacom Inc. where he provides counsel on a number of strategic areas. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Save the Children. As Chairman, Daly leads the organization’s effort to help children worldwide who are threatened by disease, poverty, war and natural disaster. In addition, Daly serves as President of Rulemaker, Inc., an investment consulting company. He is also Chairman of DonorsChoose LA, an organization which provides material assistance to teachers in the public school system.

Prior to February 2004, Daly served as Managing Partner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Dodgers, overseeing all operations of the organization. Daly has had a lifetime passion for the ball club that began when he rooted for the Dodgers in his native Brooklyn and was strengthened once he moved to Los Angeles in 1977. Daly stepped down from The Dodgers after four and a half years, when the organization was sold in 2004, but he remains a fan.

Daly went to the Dodger organization after 19 years at Warner Bros. He joined Warner Bros. on December 1, 1980 as Chairman of the Board and Co-Chief Executive Officer. One year later, he was named Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and appointed Terry Semel President and Chief Operating Officer. Together, they started what is considered “the most enduring and successful partnership in the history of the entertainment industry.” Daly resumed his previous title on March 30, 1994, when he announced he would share his office with Semel. On November 16, 1995, Daly and Semel added the Warner Music Group to their responsibilities and also became Chairmen and Co-Chief Executive Officers, Warner Music Group. On July 15, 1999, Daly and Semel announced they would not seek to renew their contracts with Time Warner (Warner Bros.’ parent company), which expired at year’s end.

During the Daly/Semel era at Warner Bros., they were credited for 16 consecutive years of record earnings; for more than 400 major motion pictures (that garnered 13 Best Picture Oscar nominations, three of which were winners: Chariots of Fire, Driving Miss Daisy and Unforgiven); for thousands of hours of top-rated, top-quality and record-breaking television series (including China Beach, Murphy Brown, Friends and ER); for creating the current model of co-financing motion pictures while retaining worldwide distribution; and for extending and revitalizing such world renowned brands as Batman, Superman and Looney Tunes characters into franchises, licensing powerhouses and worldwide retail stores. Other accomplishments by Daly and Semel include developing the leading distribution operations in the world for feature films, television and home video as well as the emerging technologies; pioneering the creation and use of DVD; creating The WB Network; being at the forefront of marketing films, series and animation on the Internet; and for generally diversifying the studio into a global leader in every aspect of the entertainment industry.

Daly and Semel and their extraordinary partnership were immortalized on September 30, 1999 as the pair put their hands and footprints in the same cement square in the forecourt of the famed Grauman's Chinese Theatre, only the second studio executives in history to do so.

Daly moved to Warner Bros. from CBS Entertainment, where he had served as President since October 1977. In addition to his duties as chief of television operations at CBS, Daly was also responsible for CBS Theatrical Films, which was formed in October 1979 and immediately was considered a major motion picture producer. During his 25-year association with CBS, Daly served in various posts, including Executive Vice President of CBS Television Network and Vice President of Business Affairs.

In addition to his work with Save the Children, Daly also serves on the boards of The American Film Institute and The Museum of Television and Radio. Additionally, he is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s Dean’s Advisory Board and the UCLA Executive Board for the Medical Sciences. In 2006 he joined the board of the USC Annenberg School for Communication.

Daly attended Brooklyn College and Hunter College and received an honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from the American Film Institute as well as a doctorate of Humane Letters from Trinity College. He is married to multi-award winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, whose son lives with the couple at their home in Bel Air. Daly also has three grown children.