Why Morgan Stanley's James Gorman Now Runs Disney's Board

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Why Morgan Stanley's James Gorman Now Runs Disney's Board

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About this listen

James Gorman becomes Disney Chairman — The former Morgan Stanley CEO is now the most powerful person at Disney, leading the search for Bob Iger's replacement. What does a Wall Street banker running Disney's board tell you about the company's future?

In this episode of The Option, we explore:

James Gorman's Morgan Stanley playbook and what it means for Disney strategy
The leading CEO candidates: Josh D'Amaro (parks) vs. Dana Walden (content)
Why Disney's core strategic question is financial, not creative
What a banker-chairman signals for Disney's streaming investment and asset sales
Timeline for Disney's CEO announcement before D23 2026

Key takeaway: Disney put a banker in charge of succession because the next CEO's job is finance, not storytelling.

The Option is a daily podcast covering Hollywood business news, Disney strategy, media executive moves, and entertainment industry analysis. New episodes weekdays at 6 AM PT.

Keywords: James Gorman Disney, Disney CEO search, Bob Iger replacement, Disney chairman, Josh D'Amaro, Dana Walden, Disney succession, Morgan Stanley Disney, Disney+ profitability

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