Though the intent was to always cast a net and look for whoever is perfect for the role, Disney is getting some attention as they look outside of the company for current CEO Bob Iger’s successor, eyeing Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson, according to The Wall Street Journal.
What’s Happening:
- Though it was always part of the plan, Disney appears to be making waves by looking outside of the company for fresh candidates to succeed current CEO Bob Iger.
- Early on, from the outside looking in, the search appeared to be focused on four high-level executives who have already been with the company, including (but not limited to) Co-Chair of the entertainment division Dana Walden and Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro.
- Recently, a number of other names have surfaced in these talks, including the CEO of the video game company, Electronic Arts (EA), Andrew Wilson.
- Wilson has a past with the Walt Disney Company, having interviewed for the top job at ESPN before it went to Jimmy Pitaro. He was also on the EA side of the table when Disney CEO Bob Chapek was negotiating a deal (that ultimately fell through) that would see EA sold to Disney.
- The same thing happened over the last year when Wilson and Disney were exploring options regarding a partnership between EA and ESPN, another deal that didn’t happen.
- Morgan Stanley CEO, James Gorman, will take over as chairman of the Walt Disney Company board in January, and intends to explore a wide range of candidates for the CEO position at the Walt Disney Company, a position that is planned to be filled in early 2026.
- The 2026 timeline is later than originally planned. After Iger returned to Disney to replace a floundering Bob Chapek in November of 2022, he was contracted for a short time thereafter to find another successor. His return contract has been extended, and now expires at the end of 2026.
- Iger himself has explored ideas on how to fill the top job and has even tossed around the idea of two CEOs to share it.
- Before Gorman’s arrival, when many were focused on top execs already at the company, with many looking at the two-CEO idea and eyeing Walden and D’Amaro as the two since they have complementary skill sets.
- That’s all speculation however, and with a successor to be named by early 2026, The Succession Planning Committee (which met six times in fiscal 2024) says it continued to review both internal and external candidates as it looks to “undertake a deliberate and thoughtful succession planning process.”
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