Dana Walden’s Ascension Raises Old Question: Will Disney Ever Have A Female CEO?

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In 2004, Disney’s cable networks executive Anne Sweeney was named co-chair, Disney Media Networks, and president, Disney/ABC Television Group.

The promotion, announced by then-Disney CEO Bob Iger, to whom Sweeney reported, set off a decade-long reign of Sweeney as one of the most powerful women in entertainment, with a vast TV portfolio encompassing a broadcast network and cable networks, Disney’s TV studio and news.When Iger announced that he planned to step down in 2016 (he ultimately did not leave and ended up postponing his retirement four times since 2013), Sweeney had to be considered a contender as one of the most senior executives under Iger who was coming up the same route he had taken to the top job, via Disney’s TV operation.But in 2014, Sweeney announced her exit to become a TV director. (She actually never went into directing.) According to insiders at the time, the fact that Sweeney was not looking likely to succeed Iger when he was to depart in 2016 played a part in her decision to go for a career change — though she insisted at the time she never wanted the top job.Sweeney was the closest a woman had ever gotten to the CEO job at Disney — until today.

In a move that shocked Hollywood, Iger’s successor, Bob Chapek, fired Peter Rice for no obvious reason and promoted Rice’s longtime top lieutenant Dana Walden to his post, Chairman of Disney General Entertainment.

The messy way the executive change came about, with Chapek dispatching unceremoniously the top Fox executive to join Disney after the 2019 acquisition just a year into his new contract, understandably stole the spotlight from Walden’s ascension to the top content job.Disney Board Backs CEO Bob Chapek And Top Exec Team Following Peter Rice OusterWhi