Susan Arnold to succeed Iger as Walt Disney Company board chairman

The Walt Disney Company has named Susan Arnold as chairman of the board to succeed Bob Iger on December 31.

Susan Arnold

Arnold, a 14-year member of the Disney board who has served as its independent lead director since 2018, will take over from Iger as chairman when he leaves the company at the end of the year.

Disney said Arnold brings to her role extensive public-company board experience and in-depth knowledge of brand management and marketing, environmental sustainability, product and business development, international consumer markets, finance and executive and risk management.

She was formerly an operating executive of the equity investment firm The Carlyle Group, where she worked from 2013 to 2021.

Previously, she served as president of global business units at Procter & Gamble from 2007 to 2009. She was a director of McDonald’s Corp from 2008 to 2016 and a director of NBTY from 2013 to 2017.

Iger has served as chairman of the board since 2012 and as Disney’s executive chairman since 2020, directing the company’s creative endeavours after Bob Chapek was named CEO.

From 2005 to 2020, Iger led the acquisition of Pixar (2006), Marvel (2009), Lucasfilm (2012) and 21st Century Fox (2019), transforming the Mouse House into one of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies.

“Susan is an incredibly esteemed executive whose wealth of experience, unwavering integrity and expert judgment have been invaluable to the company since she first joined the board in 2007,” said Iger, executive chairman and chairman of the board.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Bob Iger for his extraordinary leadership over the past decade-and-a-half,” Arnold said.

“Bob has led Disney to amazing heights both creatively and financially, with his clear strategic vision for delivering high-quality branded storytelling, embracing cutting-edge technology, and expanding internationally, and he’s left an indelible mark on The Walt Disney Company that will be felt for generations to come.

“As I step into this new role as chairman of the board, I look forward to continuing to serve the long-term interests of Disney’s shareholders and working closely with CEO Bob Chapek as he builds upon the company’s century-long legacy of creative excellence and innovation.”