Disney’s newly appointed chairwoman Dana Walden has announced a new leadership team for the company’s entertainment division. As part of the restructuring, Walden has retained Alan Bergman as the head of Disney’s film studios, a role he has held since 2019.
Disney’s New Leadership Team
Walt Disney Co.’s incoming president and chief creative officer, Dana Walden, has unveiled her leadership team, which includes several familiar faces from the company’s film, television, and marketing units. Walden will become Disney’s first female president on Wednesday, reporting to Josh D’Amaro, who will succeed Bob Iger as Disney’s chief executive.
Walden’s senior team includes her longtime creative partner, Alan Bergman. As chairman of Disney Entertainment, Studios, Bergman will continue to oversee Disney’s film studios, including production, marketing, and distribution. Bergman also will retain oversight of Disney’s streaming programming in concert with Walden.
Disney executives Joe Earley and Adam Smith were named co-presidents of Disney Entertainment’s direct-to-consumer offerings, Disney+ and Hulu. Both executives will be responsible for strategy and financial performance and will report to Walden and Bergman.
Consolidating Creative Operations
Debra OConnell will step into a newly formed role as chairman of Disney Entertainment Television. She will have a broad TV portfolio that includes ABC Entertainment, Disney-branded cable channels, Hulu Originals, as well as programming from National Geographic, 20th Television, and 20th Television Animation.
Several executives will report to OConnell, including Ayo Davis of Disney Branded Television, Courteney Monroe of National Geographic Content, Almin Karamehmedovic of ABC News, and Chad Matthews of ABC stations. Additionally, ad executives Rita Ferro and Jimmy Zasowski will report to both OConnell and Bergman and Pitaro.
Sean Shoptaw, who serves as executive vice president for games and digital entertainment, and his organization will shift from Disney Experiences and into Walden’s division. Shoptaw oversees Disney’s games business and its collaboration with Epic Games to develop a Disney universe connected to Fortnite.
Strengthening the Disney Brand
Asad Ayaz, who is chief marketing and brand officer, has an influential remit across Disney’s various business segments. He will report to D’Amaro and Walden.
John Landgraf remains chairman of FX and will continue to report directly to Walden.
“The strength of Disney has always been the emotional connection between our stories and the people who love them,” Walden said in a statement. “As fans engage with Disney across more formats and platforms than ever before, we are bringing together the full power of our creative businesses to build an even more connected experience for audiences.”.