Disney Looking At A New CEO Structure When Bob Iger Moves On
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As Bob Iger, Disney CEO, nears retirement again, the company is considering a new model to replace him. Disney revealed that an announcement of Iger’s successor will take place in early 2026. The two frontrunners for the position are Disney executives Dana Walden and Josh D’Amaro. Walden has extensive experience in Hollywood, while D’Amaro worked in consumer products and on the theme park side of things. Rather than choosing just one, Disney may borrow a strategy from Netflix.
Netflix is currently using a co-CEO model with Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters sharing the role. Sarandos’ focus is content and creative decisions, while Peters’ passion is products and technology. The former co-CEO Reed Hastings, a former co-CEO, serves as the Executive Chairman, who functions as a tiebreaker should the co-CEOs ever come to a disagreement. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iger called Netflix to ask about their CEO model. If Disney goes this route, it will likely elevate Iger to Executive Chairman. However, Disney has some hurdles that make this model harder to navigate.
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Charles Elson, the founding director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, warned that two CEOs usually turn into one CEO. He explained, “When you create two sources of authority in an organization, that’s never good. Two in charge means no one is in charge.” If D’Amaro and Walden were forced to share the position with Iger as the functional tiebreaker, it would feel like Iger’s still ultimately in charge. The massive size of Disney, from its original content, acquisition of other studios, and multiple theme parks across the world, makes it harder for a team to navigate. If Disney decides to go this route, they’ll have plenty of challenges to overcome, but it might just work.
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Source(s): CNBC, Disney Dining
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