The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors announced that it has elected Susan E. Arnold as Chairman of the Board, effective December 31, 2021. Ms. Arnold, the first woman to be named to the role in the entertainment company's 98-year-long history is a 14-year member of the Disney Board. She has served as its independent Lead Director since 2018, and will succeed Robert A. Iger as Chairman of the Board when he departs the Company at the end of the year.
“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. “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.”
“Susan is an incredibly esteemed executive whose wealth of experience, unwavering integrity, and expert judgment has been invaluable to the Company since she first joined the Board in 2007. Susan is the perfect choice for Chairman of the Board, and I am confident the company is well-positioned for continued success under her guidance and leadership. It has been a distinct honour to work with Susan and our many other talented directors, and I am incredibly grateful for the support and wise counsel they have provided during my tenure,” said Iger, in his statement to the press.
Arnold was formerly an operating executive of the equity investment firm The Carlyle Group, where she served from 2013 to 2021. Prior to that, she served as president of the Global Business Units division of Procter & Gamble from 2007 to 2009. She has also held executive roles with McDonald’s Corp. and NBTY Inc.