Disney is undoubtedly the company that most symbolizes the entertainment industry on a global scale. With its amusement parks, its studios, its streaming platform, its television channels, the firm with big ears has something to make more than one person salivate. Also, the announcement of the upcoming departure of its CEO, Bob Iger, does not go unnoticed.
A new CEO in 2026
Things are indeed starting to change at Disney. James P. Gorman, a renowned banker across the Atlantic, recently joined the company’s board of directors and will serve as chairman effective January 2, 2025.
He quickly showed the color in a press release:
A key priority for us is to appoint a new CEO, which we now plan to announce in early 2026. This timeline reflects the progress made by the Succession Planning Committee and the Board of Directors and will allow sufficient time for a transition successful.
In fact, the current boss of Disney, Bob Iger, has already announced his departure at the end of his contract on December 31, 2026. Although this promise arouses a bit of skepticism, because the latter has already postponed his retirement on several occasions, speculation is now rife.
According to information from New York Timesfour Disney division heads hold the rope: Dana Walden, who is the highest television executive within the big-eared firm, Josh D’Amata who manages theme parks and video games, Alan Bergman, the head of cinema, and Jimmy Pitaro, who heads ESPN, the channel dedicated to sports.
According to our colleagues, the announcement of this more distant calendar is also a way to calm the rumors a little and allow Disney employees to concentrate on their work. Especially since the company’s board of directors specifies that external applications will also be examined.
Disney has a lot on its plate
Moreover, there is no shortage of hot issues, notably the priority of relaunching franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars which today have great difficulty convincing spectators.
The entertainment giant must also find the path to profitability for its Disney+ streaming service. This involves an emphasis on advertising and price increases, all measures which risk greatly displeasing its customers. To find out more about these price increases in France, you can always reread our article here.
