Walt Disney tasks board member Gorman to lead panel for CEO search

Walt Disney on Wednesday named board member and Morgan Stanley executive chairman James Gorman to chair its succession planning committee, which is looking for the next chief executive officer.

The board has extended CEO Bob Iger's retirement date five times. Iger retired once and then was brought back in late 2022 to replace his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek.

Disney won a months-long proxy war with activist investor Nelson Peltz and is refocusing attention on finding Iger's successor.


"Succession planning is a top priority of the Board," Chairman Mark Parker said.

Gorman was Morgan Stanley CEO from 2010 to 2023 and will be ceding his role as executive chairman in December.