Beleaguered media giant Disney is extending the search for Bob Iger’s successor beyond the walls of the Magic Kingdom, according to a new report.
The Mouse House was considering some internal candidates, but is now working with recruiters from search firm Hedrick & Struggles to review external contenders for the top job. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday
There is a possible successor from outside Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, a name that has been in the news constantly in recent years.
The 50-year-old executive, who has served as EA chairman and CEO since 2013, has been in touch with Iger over the years.
A source told The Post that Iger tried to get Wilson to run ESPN before appointing Jimmy Pitaro in 2018.
“Iger is interested in him,” the source said. “He’s young. They tried to convince him to run ESPN.
Before becoming CEO, Wilson served as Executive Vice President of EA Sports and Origin, where he led the global EA Sports business as well as EA’s digital PC service.
He also served as vice president and executive producer of all EA Sports FIFA games, making it one of the most popular video game franchises of all time.
The search for Iger’s successor is being led Outgoing Morgan Stanley executive James Gormanwho will do Becomes president of Disney starting January 2.
He recently said that Iger’s successor would be announced in early 2026.
Iger’s contract is set to expire at the end of 2026. He returns in 2022 after a disastrous term of his choice contract.
The Journal reported that Wilson talked about selling EA to Disney. Chapek’s reignBut the talks could not reach any agreement.
Wilson’s idea comes as The Mouse House moves into the video game sector after taking a $1.5 billion stake in “Fortnite” maker Epic Games.
In addition to considering outsiders, Disney’s board also Evaluation of four internal candidates: Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment dana walden and Alan Bergman, ESPN President Pitaro and Parks & Experiences Head Josh D’Amaro.
It’s possible that Disney will find a way to bring in an outsider and pursue an internal candidate.
Journal reported that Iger – who is Laser-focused on choosing a strong successor – Called Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos earlier this year and inquired about the possibility of a dual CEO setup at Disney.
Sarandos said this during WSJ’s Tech Live conference in October “It’s hard for me to recommend” the co-CEO model for a company like Disney.
Sarandos said at the time, “I understand their business well, but not their business structure.”
Although it’s still early days, sources told The Journal that Walden and D’Amaro have complimentary skill sets to run the business, as she is a TV executive who works closely with Hollywood talent and he is a close friend of financial experts. Also an operations guru.
Replacing Iger – an executive whom Gorman recently said had a “rare combination of exceptionally good creative instincts with great business judgment” – will be difficult.
Speaking at an October event for the trade group National Association of Corporate Directors, Gorman said he understood why Disney wanted to keep Iger on for so long.
Iger has held the job since 2005 – with a two-year hiatus – before returning to the role in 2022.
“But people don’t live forever, so eventually you have to move on,” Gorman concluded.
