The succession plan for Disney’s Bob Iger has been a topic of discussion since his dramatic return to the role of CEO in 2022. Iger came back to Disney to clean up a mess left by his predecessor and one-time successor Bob Chapek after a tumultuous 2 ½ years as CEO.
This fumbled succession left a scar on Disney, which is now following a very deliberate process to choose Iger’s replacement when his term ends on December 31st, 2026. The company has created a succession committee led by Chairman of the Board James Gorman, who has previously overseen a successful leadership transition at the financial behemoth Morgan Stanley.
The official contenders under consideration for the top spot are the current head of the Theme Parks Division, Josh D’Amaro, Entertainment Co-Heads Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, and the chief at ESPN, Jimmy Pitaro. But many see the real competition between D’Amaro and Walden, who have both shown promise in leading their respective divisions.
Walden has distinguished herself by guiding Disney’s streaming services Hulu and Disney+ to profitability despite considerable challenges represented by the pandemic and its aftermath. She has also greenlit the popular streaming series THE BEAR and ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, both of which have become bit hits on the streaming platform and at the Emmys.
However, Walden’s standing has taken a hit lately due to her handling of the suspension and reinstatement of late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. Meanwhile, D’Amaro’s tenure as head of Disney’s “Experiences” division, which includes theme parks and cruises, has been unmarred by controversy and has delivered sky-high profits, making it Disney’s most profitable division.
D’Amaro has also been at Disney for over three decades, compared with Walden’s shorter tenure, which began in 2019. Bloomberg reports that these factors are accumulating into a “growing consensus” that it’s D’Amaro’s job to lose. If D’Amaro does wind up in the top job, he will face the same challenge as Chapek to fill the shoes of Iger, thought of as one of the greatest American media CEOs in history.
