The steward of Disney's global kids TV business, Ross oversees 67 network feeds, including 27 Disney Channels and nine Toon Disney channels, a lineup that reaches more than 600 million viewers across the planet. Ross also happens to be the driving force behind Hannah Montana, the $1 billion tween pop phenomenon.

Inspired by the manic pop thrill of seeing former Mouseketeers named Britney, Justin and Christina cross over to become mainstream A-listers, Ross proposed that Disney should get back into the star-making business. So in 2001, Disney introduced the world to Lizzie McGuire, a program that whipped up 2.3 million viewers per episode. The release of a 2003 theatrical pulled in $55 million in box office receipts.

Disney has since elevated its campaign to capture the hearts and minds of America’s 9-14-year-old girls, introducing the demo to the charms of Miley Cyrus in 2006. Since debuting to a national TV audience of 5.4 million viewers, Hannah Montana has given rise to a sold-out concert tour, a pair of No. 1 albums and a 3-D theatrical that has grossed $65.3 million since its Feb. 1 release.

And there's more. Last year, Disney rewrote the record books with the premiere of High School Musical 2, which delivered 17.2 million total viewers on its way to becoming the most watched program in cable history. With the third installment set to hit Oct. 24, the HSM juggernaut and its retail extensions are estimated to have a potential worth of more than $750 million. Not a bad return on the original investment of $4 million that Disney and Ross wagered on the first movie three years ago.

2007 Rank: No. 20