Disney Reveals Significant Restructuring before Leadership Change
The new president and chief creative officer of The Walt Disney Company announced a major restructuring of Disney Entertainment, reshaping the division’s leadership just days ahead of a larger shift at the company's helm.
Dana Walden will take on her new position on Wednesday, aligning with Josh D’Amaro's takeover of Bob Iger as CEO. The alterations indicate a move to better integrate Disney’s film, television, streaming, and gaming sectors during a time when conventional media firms are adjusting for a more dispersed, digital-centric audience.
One of the most significant changes is that Debra O’Connell will take on the role of chairman of Disney Entertainment Television, a newly established position that unifies the management of various key content divisions within the company. Her portfolio will encompass ABC Entertainment, Disney Branded Television, Hulu Originals, and National Geographic, along with creative duties for 20th Television and its animation division. She will maintain authority over ABC News and the local stations, broadening her impact in both entertainment and news.
Concurrently, Disney is integrating its evolving gaming and interactive division more closely with its primary entertainment operations. Sean Shoptaw, responsible for managing games and digital entertainment partnerships — which includes the company’s collaboration with Epic Games and its role in Fortnite — will now report directly to Walden. The shift relocates the gaming division from Disney Experiences, where it had reported to D’Amaro, into a framework more directly connected to Disney’s storytelling functions.
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In a message to staff, Walden characterized the reorganization as a move to unify Disney’s "creative engines and platforms," claiming that audiences now anticipate interacting with its characters and franchises through various formats, including streaming platforms like Disney+ and Hulu, as well as theatrical releases and interactive experiences.
Other senior leaders will keep or enhance their positions within the redesigned framework. Alan Bergman will remain as chairman of Disney Entertainment, studios, managing the company's film production and co-sharing responsibility for its direct-to-consumer business alongside Walden. Joe Earley and Adam Smith have been appointed co-presidents of that division, with Earley concentrating on content strategy and Smith overseeing product and technology, which includes duties related to ESPN.
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John Landgraf will continue as chairman of FX, reporting to Walden, whereas Asad Ayaz, Disney’s chief marketing and brand officer, will report to both Walden and D’Amaro — a setup that highlights the increasing intersection of creative, distribution, and consumer experience roles.
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The reorganization occurs as Disney gets ready for a leadership transition that has been in development for several months. Recently, D’Amaro appointed Thomas Mazloum as his successor at Disney Experiences and designated Paul Roeder as chief communications officer, completing a leadership team that will manage a company facing significant changes in audience entertainment consumption.