When Bob Iger returned to Disney in 2022, he did so with a few important objectives in mind.
©Disney
Perhaps the most glaring, though, was the need to choose a successor to replace him once his contract (which has already been extended once since his return) was finally up. Fans and experts have both weighed in to give their thoughts on who the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company might be and now, it seems we may have an update.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, the Walt Disney Company board is focusing its efforts on four division heads as part of its search for Bob Iger’s successor.
They’re candidates whose names have been tossed into the ring before: Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment; Jimmy Pitaro, former ESPN president; Disney Parks chair Josh D’Amaro; and Alan Bergman, Walden’s other co-chair at Disney Entertainment.
Walt Disney Company Headquarters ©LA Times
“People with knowledge of the matter” told Bloomberg that as part of the process, Disney could appoint a chief operating officer or president to serve for a time before Iger officially exits. For now, his contract is slated to end in 2026 — but no decision on a successor is expected this year.
©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters
Iger has reportedly been spending time with the internal candidates to give them an idea of how he does the job, along with giving them exposure to other areas of the business they may not be familiar with.
We do know that the board committee formed in 2023 met six times last year and has been working with a search firm along with conducting interviews.
©Disney
Of course, this could be complicated by Disney’s annual shareholder meeting coming up on April 3rd, when a proxy vote will be held to determine whether or not Nelson Peltz, Jay Rasulo, and Blackwells Capital will end up with board seats at the company.
One thing is for sure, we’ll be keeping an eye on the latest developments on Bob Iger’s successor.
©Disney
Stay tuned to DFB as we continue to bring you the latest updates about Bob Iger and The Walt Disney Company.
Analysts Predict Who Will Become Disney’s NEW CEO When Bob Iger’s Contract Ends
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If Josh D can distance Disney from Iger’s political agenda, he would be my pick. Of course Josh can’t say or signal that, or he will never be selected as the next CEO. Josh still remembers the Disney “magic” and has the best chance of any names mentioned to resurrect it from the ashes.
I concur. Josh D. would be my vote.