Disney’s new CEO has three options on who can help him craft his image — and the battle’s heating up

When assessing Josh D’Amaro’s ascent to the top job at The Walt Disney Company, the enviable PR he received in the lead up and aftermath of his appointment shouldn’t be overlooked.

‘Well-liked.’ ‘Respected.’ ‘Strategic,’ ‘Deeply committed.’ Those were just some of the ways the 56-year-old was described by his colleagues and peers in articles — some of which were downright fawning. To be fair, the exec who has lived far from Hollywood in Orange County may very well be all of those things. But running Disney is one of the most visible — and perilous — CEO jobs in the world and the question on the minds of Disney insiders is who will D’Amaro elevate to help him craft and maintain his image when he becomes CEO on March 18th? 

D’Amaro, known for his loyalty, has three options: Keep the current team in place, promote someone internally who understands him and the byzantine ways of Disney’s corporate culture or look externally for a candidate who could help him with a perceived shortcoming or weakness. 

Josh D’Amaro has been named CEO of Walt Disney. He most recently held the role of Chairman of Disney Experiences. Getty Images

In D’Amaro’s case, the primary shortcoming that’s been leveled against him is that he doesn’t have deep enough ties to the entertainment industry. But there’s no shortage of experts who could help him with that. Interviews with multiple Disney insiders over the past week suggest that D’Amaro is leaning towards promoting internally, and two lead candidates have emerged: Alannah Hall-Smith who oversees communications for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and Paul Roeder who oversees Disney Entertainment – Studios, International and DTC [Direct-to-Consumer]. 

Both Hall-Smith and Roeder have worked closely with D’Amaro, are well liked and are Disney veterans with a combined 40 years between them. 

One name that doesn’t seem to have much traction — at least at the moment — is current Disney communications chief Kristina Schake who was hired in 2022 during Bob Chapek’s brief tenure as CEO. 

Schake previously worked for Michelle Obama and, before that, Hillary Clinton which makes her part of the continuum of high level Democratic Party operatives brought in and given plush gigs by entertainment industry CEOs looking to improve their PR game. Schake was originally brought in by former Disney communications chief Geoff Morrell,who survived all of four months on the job. (Morrell also cut his teeth in DC, proving that while a few of the Beltway-to-Hollywood PR mavens work out — many don’t). When Iger returned as CEO he kept Schake on as his comms chief, but in recent months, forces within the company and outside of it have aligned against Schake, reflecting the cutthroat stakes inside Disney as the Iger-to-D’Amaro CEO succession drama continues to unfold.

Schake’s problems are twofold. She doesn’t have a strong relationship with D’Amaro, and in fact has a much closer relationship with Dana Walden. (Walden and Schake work on the same floor and both are active in Democratic politics.) Walden, of course, was the other top candidate campaigning for the CEO job. As a consolation for being passed over, the board created a new role for her — president and chief creative officer — which expands her purview to include film. And while Walden, who will report to D’Amaro, has publicly praised her new boss since he was named CEO, there are questions how the two will co-exist when the D’Amaro regime officially begins. Sources close to D’Amaro say Schake’s close relationship with Walden and perceived support during the succession drama doesn’t help her cause. 

But Schake has another problem. Iger’s once-squeaky clean reputation has taken a number of hits over the past few years which happened on Schake’s watch. In September, Iger faced a torrent of criticism for his decision to place late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel on “indefinite” leave over comments Kimmel made over the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel was, of course, reinstated shortly after the suspension, but not before Iger and Walden were accused of capitulating to the Trump administration’s perceived assault on the First Amendment.

James P. Gorman, Josh D’Amaro, Dana Walden, and Bob Iger. via REUTERS

Iger also came in for blistering criticism from the industry’s creative class during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. In July of 2023 Iger went on CNBC and called the work stoppage “disturbing,” and said the unions’ demands were “not realistic.” That Iger made those comments at a fragile and volatile moment in the strikes was bad enough. Even more damaging was that he made them from the Sun Valley Conference which is known as “summer camp for billionaires,” which struck many as tone-deaf and ill-advised.

“Bob’s reputation got trashed in the last few years and that’s because Kristina didn’t do her job,” said a high-level source inside Disney. 

When he retired back in 2021 Iger walked away as a beloved and transformative figure who orchestrated Disney’s buys of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox, (though the Fox acquisition was not nearly as successful as the others). Many observers credit former Disney chief comms officer Zenia Mucha for the excellent press Iger received during his first 15-year run as CEO. Mucha, who left the company in 2021 and is now chief brand and communications officer at TikTok, was a respected and feared force inside Disney and among the Hollywood press corps. Unlike Schake, Mucha was very proactive and built relationships with top journalists who covered Disney. Schake has taken a different approach. She has not made building personal relationships among the Hollywood press corps a priority and often tasks her deputies with returning calls from high level editors and journalists. Multiple sources have told P6H that Mucha and Iger’s chief of staff Nancy Lee have been critical of the way Schake has handled her job. 

Sources close to Schake say the criticisms are deeply unfair and more reflective of a cutthroat climate at a company in transition. The pandemic, the guild strikes and the pivot to streaming have challenged every CEO, they say. Furthermore, her supporters note her deft handling of Disney’s fight with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, when she helped the company gracefully exit the controversy. They also praise how she handled the failed 2024 Disney proxy battle orchestrated by Nelson Peltz. “You always hear about the things that she didn’t do well, and you never hear about the things she successfully navigates,” said a source. 

In October, Disney renewed Schake’s contract. Some saw that as an endorsement. Others within Disney saw it as a move by Iger — who is also known for his loyalty — to make a gesture to Schake and a few others before he exited the company. By extending her contract, Iger sets her up, at the very least, with a sizable seven figure severance in the event she doesn’t carry over into the D’Amaro regime.