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The Walt Disney Co: Succession Planning Challenges

Arpita Agnihotri, Saurabh Bhattacharya

Product #:W41955
Supplier:Ivey
Discipline:Human Resource Management, Strategy
Setting:United States, 2024
Details:Case (PDF) • 16 pages • 2025-04-14

Subjects:

Succession planningLeadershipFinancial performance measurementOrganizational cultureOrganizational behaviorStrategy

Industries:

Media, entertainment, and professional sports

Geography:

United StatesNorth America
Your Price:$9.71

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In October 2024, the Walt Disney Company (Disney) was trying to grow further in the streaming business while also combating declines in its TV assets and its revenue from the theme park division, which contributed the most to Disney’s profits. The board was also searching for a new chief executive officer (CEO), as Bob Iger’s contract was set to expire in 2026. Disney’s board appointed James Gorman, former Morgan Stanley CEO, as the company’s next chair starting in January 2025. Gorman, who had experience in succession planning, was expected to lead Disney’s CEO succession planning committee. The committee shortlisted four internal CEO candidates and remained open to external candidates as well. Choosing the right CEO was critical to ensuring Disney’s long-term success. Who should Gorman have selected as the new CEO? What lessons could he have learned from past succession failures? What steps should Gorman have followed for succession planning?

Learning Objectives

This case is intended for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses on human resource management, strategic human resource management, leadership, and strategic management. The case deals with the challenges of finding the right CEO for a multi-divisional company, where each division has its share of performance challenges. The case also discusses past missteps in the CEO search process and succession planning that led to regretful hiring and deteriorating financial performance. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to accomplish the following objectives:
  • Evaluate candidates’ strengths and weaknesses to support CEO succession planning in a multi-divisional organization.
  • Analyze different succession planning strategies, emphasizing the current CEO’s role versus the board’s role in selecting the next CEO.
  • Explore the succession planning process.
  • Examine how succession planning and the selection of a CEO can go wrong.
  • Critically analyze how past succession planning failures can guide future succession planning.
  • Evaluate how strategic and market challenges influence the CEO selection choice.
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Case Study: The Walt Disney Co: Succession Planning Challenges (English version) | Ivey Publishing