Disney Entertainment Television’s new chair Debra OConnell has locked in her senior leadership team ahead of incoming CEO Josh D’Amaro and chief creative officer Dana Walden officially taking the reins of the company from Bob Iger.
Craig Erwich will continue to lead ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals. He will also oversee 20th Television and 20th Television Animation, with Karey Burke and Marci Proietto reporting to him.
Meanwhile, Disney Branded Television head Ayo Davis, her team, and National Geographic Content head Courteney Monroe will now report directly to O’Connell. ABC News head Almin Karamehmedovic and ABC Owned Television Stations head Chad Matthews will also continue to report to O’Connell.
Additionally, Disney Advertising chief Rita Ferro and platform distribution head Jimmy Zasowski will now report to O’Connell for television, and to Alan Bergman and Jimmy Pitaro for film and sports, respectively. Sean Cocchia will now report to both O’Connell and Eric Schrier on content strategy.
“One of the greatest privileges of working for The Walt Disney Company is the ability to serve alongside exceptionally talented people across every team and facet of our work. The creativity, innovation and collaboration I’ve witnessed throughout my nearly three decades with the company continue to inspire me every day,” OConnell said in a memo to staff. “As we begin this new journey together, I am both energized and humbled by the individuals throughout our organization who will shape our future and carry forward the spirit of storytelling that defines our company.”
In addition to OConnell’s promotion, Bergman, who has most recently served as Disney Entertainment co-chair alongside Walden, will remain chairman of the Disney’s studio division, overseeing all aspects of its film studios, including production, marketing and distribution. He and Walden will also continue to have shared oversight of the direct-to-consumer division.
The DTC division will be run by co-presidents Joe Earley and Adam Smith, who will share responsibility for strategy and financial performance across Disney+ and Hulu, reporting to Walden and Bergman. Earley will also serve as head of content strategy, while Smith continues as chief product and technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN. For sports, Smith will continue reporting to Pitaro.
FX chairman John Landgraf will continue reporting directly to Walden and maintain oversight of Onyx Collective. Schrier will report to Earley, giving the DTC team oversight of the company’s international local originals exclusive to Disney+. He will also oversee strategy for alternative forms of content and maintain oversight of the television division’s business affairs, production, and labor relations teams.
Additionally, Disney’s Games and Digital Entertainment division will be folded into Disney Entertainment. The unit’s executive vice president, Sean Shoptaw, who also oversees the collaboration with Epic Games to develop a Disney universe connected to Fortnite, will report directly to Walden.
Disney chief marketing and brand officer Asad Ayaz will report to both Walden and incoming CEO Josh D’Amaro.
Walden and D’Amaro will officially take over the reins from outgoing CEO Bob Iger on Wednesday. Iger will continue to serve as senior advisor and a member of the Disney Board until his retirement from the company on Dec. 31, 2026.
Read OConnell’s full memo below:
Team,
Before anything else, I want to thank Dana Walden for her extraordinary leadership and for the confidence she has placed in me to serve as chairman of Disney Entertainment Television. Dana has been an incredible champion of creative excellence across our organization, and her vision and thoughtful leadership have catapulted the momentum we are building on today. I’m deeply grateful to Dana and Josh D’Amaro for their support as we move forward together.
One of the greatest privileges of working for The Walt Disney Company is the ability to serve alongside exceptionally talented people across every team and facet of our work. The creativity, innovation and collaboration I’ve witnessed throughout my nearly three decades with the company continue to inspire me every day. As we begin this new journey together, I am both energized and humbled by the individuals throughout our organization who will shape our future and carry forward the spirit of storytelling that defines our company.
With that in mind, I’m pleased to share my new senior leadership team with all of you.
Craig Erwich will now oversee 20th Television and 20th Television Animation, with Karey Burke and Marci Proietto reporting to him. Craig will continue to lead ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals.
Ayo Davis and the Disney Branded Television team will now report into me.
Courteney Monroe and the National Geographic Content organization will also report to me directly.
Almin Karamehmedovic and Chad Matthews will continue to report to me as the heads of ABC News and ABC Owned Television Stations, respectively.
Rita Ferro and Jimmy Zasowski will now report to me for television, and to Alan Bergman and Jimmy Pitaro for each of their respective businesses.
Sean Cocchia will now dual report to me and Eric Schrier on Content Strategy.
Let me be the first to say this is an all-star team. And, in the weeks ahead, we will be refining aspects of this new organizational structure and processes. As those decisions take shape, we will share more details. Thank you for your patience during this period of transition and for the professionalism and focus you bring to your work every day.
Across our studios, networks and platforms, we give life to stories that connect with audiences around the world in meaningful ways. More than ever, we’ll be working closely with our Direct-to-Consumer partners – Joe Earley and Adam Smith – and their teams as we embrace a unified content strategy and continue to deliver the culture-defining, award-winning titles that inspire generations.
Finally, for those of you who are joining my organization for the first time, I’d like to leave you with a mantra that has served me well throughout my career – Work hard, play smart and throw kindness like confetti. I hope you’ll keep those words in mind as we move forward together.
Thank you for all you do.
Debra
