Disney has nominated former Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams to stand election as a new independent board director at the media giant’s 2026 annual meeting of shareholders.
If elected, Williams would expand the size of the board to a total of 11 members.
The board’s ten current members include Disney CEO Bob Iger, former Morgan Stanley executive chairman James Gorman, General Motors chair and CEO Mary Barra, former Cisco Systems and Google executive Amy Chang, former Instacart, Meta and Microsoft executive Carolyn Everson, Council on Foreign Relations president and former Mastercard vice chairman and president Michael Froman, former JP Morgan Private Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank senior executive Maria Elena Lagomasino, Lululemon Athletica CEO Calvin McDonald, former CVS Health and Eli Lilly & Co. executive Derica Rice and former Sky chief Jeremy Darroch.
Williams first joined Apple in 1998 as head of worldwide procurement. He would later be promoted to vice president of operations in 2004 and and chief operating officer in 2015, serving in the latter role until his retirement earlier this year.
As COO, Williams oversaw Apple’s design team and managed its global supply chain, service and support functions. During his tenure, he was responsible for the launch of the Apple Watch and architecting the company’s health and fitness strategy. He also oversaw the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. Prior to Apple, he held various engineering and operational roles at International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
“Jeff Williams is a highly accomplished executive who for decades helped steward one of the most innovative and admired companies that serves billions of consumers across the globe,” Gorman, who serves as Disney’s board chairman, said in a statement. “Jeff’s proven leadership and unique experience at the intersection of technology, global operations and product design make him a valuable nominee to our board as the company continues to focus on creative storytelling and groundbreaking innovation.”
“I have long admired Disney’s legacy of pairing imagination with innovation—leveraging new technologies in bold, creative ways to bring to life timeless stories and entertain its guests,” Williams added. “It is an honor to be nominated to the board of this storied company. I look forward to working with Disney’s talented leadership team and contributing to the company’s ongoing journey of creativity and excellence.”
The move comes as Disney’s board is slated to announce a successor to Iger in early 2026. In 2023, the board extended Iger’s contract through the end of 2026. Iger returned to the company in 2022 following the ouster of his successor-turned-predecessor Bob Chapek.
