Disney University, Tokyo Disneyland, and a life on the keynote stage.

Doug's Disney career began in 1978 as a college intern in the Disneyland Marketing Department in Anaheim, where his natural speaking and leadership skills caught the eye of Disney's executive leadership.

After graduate school, he was fast-tracked into Disney's exclusive management-training program and quickly promoted into a leadership role within the prestigious Disney University.

When Tokyo Disneyland was being built, Doug was selected to help train visiting Japanese executives in the 'Disney Way,' then joined the team of American executives that built and opened the park — helping hire and train more than 4,000 Japanese cast members. He later wrote The Success of Tokyo Disneyland, the first of his eight books.

After Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983, Doug returned to Disney's headquarters to lead corporate training initiatives during a tumultuous era — Disney's first PG-rated film, the Eisner / Wells era, and the company's evolution into a modern global brand.

Doug worked alongside Disney's leadership team during this period of strategic growth, witnessing the launches of The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, Pretty Woman, and ESPN. It's also where he met his wife, Pam.

Doug eventually left Disney to pursue his passion for studying successful global corporations. Combining his Japanese fluency with his Tokyo Disneyland experience, he co-led the Intercultural Relations Institute in Palo Alto and consulted for Procter & Gamble, Intel, and other Fortune 500 clients.

He then joined NEC for seven years at their semiconductor plant in Northern California, while also chairing SACTO's Pacific Rim Committee — helping bring Kikkoman, Gekkeikan Sake, and Mitsubishi Rayon investments to the Sacramento region.

In 1993, after leading a 30-day 'Disney-esque' service training initiative for the Pebble Beach Company, Doug launched G. Douglas Lipp & Associates. Pam runs marketing and administration; Doug hits the road as a keynote speaker and leadership consultant.

Since 1995, Doug has delivered thousands of keynotes to more than one million attendees worldwide, written eight books — most recently the bestselling Disney U, now translated into Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean.

G. Douglas Lipp & Associates launched the same year as Doug and Pam's third child. The three Lipp kids — Allison, Amanda, and Keith — all grew into careers focused on speaking, teaching, and service.

Doug and Pam met at the 'Happiest Place on Earth' — at Disney Studios, where Pam managed the Mickey Mouse Cast Activity Center. Their favorite story? Pam organized the Donald Duck 50th Birthday Bash 'Quack-Off,' and Doug — a closet quacker — won in an infamous run-off against Tony Anselmo, the current voice of Donald.