A new report from the Wall Street Journal says that Disney is expanding the search for its next CEO beyond the four leading internal candidates. Up until this point, it was understood that Disney might look outside the company, but it was largely reported that Disney was closing in on the four leading candidates. Then, an October 21st announcement changed the timeline, giving Disney more time to settle on a new CEO.
The October announcement named James P. Gorman as the chairman of the Board of Directors following the planned departure of Mark Parker. Gorman’s larger role on the Board followed his previously held position of Chair of Disney’s Succession Planning Committee. In short, Gorman is the guy when it comes to the Board’s role in picking a new CEO.
In that announcement, Gorman said that Disney pushed back its planned announcement of a new CEO to “early 2026”. Gorman said that the slower timeframe would “allow ample time for a successful transition before the conclusion of Bob Iger’s contract in December 2026”.
The Board’s Succession Planning Committee is chaired by Gorman and includes directors Mary T. Barra and Calvin R. McDonald, as well as Parker until his departure.
The report said that Disney has considered Andrew Wilson, the CEO of Electronic Arts. As Disney continues to launch into a more digital presence for its Experiences business, a CEO with tech experience would be valuable. Disney is reportedly working with recruiters from Heidrick & Struggles to help review and suggest external candidates. At least two more people beyond Wilson were identified by the company, but not named in the WSJ report.
Another interesting point of the WSJ report is that current Disney CEO Bob Iger reportedly reached out to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos to ask how the dual CEO setup was working for the company. Iger wanted to know if a dual CEO setup would work at The Walt Disney Company. It’s unclear if that discussion led to something that Disney would consider, but we’ll know more come early 2026 when a new Disney CEO is named.
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