Dana Walden

Dana Walden
Born
Dana Michelle Freedman

(1964-10-13) October 13, 1964
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Southern California
OccupationBusinesswoman
EmployerThe Walt Disney Company (2019–present)
TitlePresident and CCO of The Walt Disney Company
Board member ofLive Nation Entertainment
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Saban Free Clinic of Los Angeles
Spouse
Matt Walden
​
(m. 1995)​
Children2

Dana Michelle Walden (née Freedman; born October 13, 1964)[1][2] is an American businesswoman and president and chief creative officer of the Walt Disney Company. She is a former member of the President's Export Council.[3]

Career

Fox Television Group

Before her tenure at Disney Entertainment, Walden was previously chairman and CEO of Fox Television Group,[4] which included Fox Broadcasting Company, 20th Century Fox Television, Fox 21 Television Studios, Fox Consumer Products and the syndication supplier, 20th Television.[5][6]

The Walt Disney Company

Walden was chairman of Entertainment at Walt Disney Television. In June 2022, Walden replaced Peter Rice as Chairman of Disney General Entertainment Content.[7][8]

Dana Walden was named co-chairman of Disney Entertainment in February 2023, where she is responsible for global streaming and television.[9][10] As part of this role, Walden leads ABC Entertainment, ABC News, ABC Owned Television Stations, Disney Branded Television, Disney Television Studios (20th Television, ABC Signature, 20th Television Animation and Walt Disney Television Alternative), Freeform, FX, Hulu Originals, National Geographic Content and Onyx Collective. Under her leadership, The Walt Disney Company earned a record 183 Emmy Award nominations in 2024.[7]

In April 2024, CNBC reported that Walden was in the running to become Disney's next CEO,[11] if chosen, she would be the first female CEO of Disney in its 100-year history.[12]

In September 2025, Walden made the decision to put Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late night television program airing on American Broadcasting Company (ABC), on indefinite suspension due to his comments on the previously aired episode regarding the investigation of the alleged shooter of Charlie Kirk.[13] In his show's opening monologue on Sept. 15, Kimmel said supporters of President Donald Trump were "desperately trying to characterize" Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged in Kirk's murder, as "anything other than one of them." In the week prior, Kimmel also criticized Trump for saying Democrats were responsible for Kirk's death at a Utah campus on Sept. 10. Following the announcement that the FCC would investigate these statements, Walden preemptively put the production on suspension moments before it was to be filmed, even as audience members were already on site and as Kimmel had planned to clarify his statements on the previously aired episodes. This action has been called into question by other late night television hosts, including Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon, as well as entertainment industry veterans Jean Smart, Billy Eichner, and Margaret Cho.[14] Additionally, both SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America both took issue with Walden's choice to pull the program off the air.[15] Disney ended Kimmel's suspension five days later.[16] Kimmel praised Walden for how she handled the situation and even endorsed her in succeeding Bob Iger as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.[17]

On February 3rd, 2026, Walden was promoted to president and chief creative officer of The Walt Disney Company, effective March 18th, 2026.[18] It was widely reported that Walden was a top internal candidate for the role of CEO, along with chairman of Disney Experiences Josh D'Amaro.[19] D'Amaro was ultimately named as CEO alongside Walden's promotion.

Other board positions

Walden once sat on the board of directors for Live Nation Entertainment[20] and currently sits at the board of directors of UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.[21]

Personal life

Walden married Matt, a business executive, in 1995.[22] They have two daughters.[23] As of 2024, they live in Brentwood, Los Angeles.[1] Her grandmother Rose Freedman, an immigrant from Austria, was a survivor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire who lived to the age of 107.[24] She is of Jewish descent.[25]

Politics

Walden has donated to Democratic Party politicians and hosted fundraising events for the party.[1] She and her husband have also been longtime friends of Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.[1]

President Joe Biden appointed Walden to the President's Export Council and to the primary advisory committee on international trade in 2023.[26]

Awards and accolades

Walden was named MIPCOM's Personality of the Year in 2015.[27] She has been named "Showman of the Year" by Variety and "Executive of the Year" in 2019 by The Hollywood Reporter.[28][29] In 2021, Walden was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business.[30] In 2023, Walden ranked 39th in Forbes Magazine's list of "World's 100 most powerful women".[31] She was ranked 39th on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women in 2023.[32]

In 2024, the Producers Guild of America announced that Walden will receive the guild's Milestone Award at the 36th Producers Guild of America Awards ceremony.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Grynbaum, Michael W.; Barnes, Brooks (August 11, 2024). "Atop ABC, a Personal Connection to Kamala Harris". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  2. ^ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/97-OCR/BC-1997-09-22-OCR-Page-0087.pdf#search=%22dana%20walden%22
  3. ^ "President's Export Council Members". International Trade Administration. 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (July 14, 2014). "Dana Walden, Gary Newman Take Over Fox Broadcasting in Restructuring". Variety.
  5. ^ Rose, Lacey (December 5, 2012). "20th TV's Dana Walden On Her Career-Changing 'Jerry Maguire' Moment". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. ^ "Dana Walden on TV's 'Existential Crisis,' TV Studio Vision and Why She Joined Disney". June 19, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie; Fleming Jr, Mike (June 9, 2022). "Shocker! Peter Rice Fired From Disney; Dana Walden Taking His Post As Chairman, General Entertainment Content". Deadline Hollywood.
  8. ^ "Dana Walden on Verge of Making History as Disney's First Female CEO". Women's Tabloid. April 1, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "Dana Walden". The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  10. ^ White, Peter (February 8, 2023). "Dana Walden & Alan Bergman To Oversee New Disney Entertainment Unit". Deadline. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  11. ^ Sherman, Alex (April 1, 2024). "How Dana Walden could defy critics and become Disney's first female CEO". CNBC.
  12. ^ Sherman, Alex (April 1, 2024). "How Dana Walden could defy critics and become Disney's first female CEO". CNBC. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  13. ^ Koblin, John (September 17, 2025). "ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Off Air for Charlie Kirk Comments After F.C.C. Pressure". New York Times. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  14. ^ Robledo, Anthony (September 17, 2025). "What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk? Watch the monologue". USA Today. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  15. ^ White, Peter (September 17, 2025). "What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk? Watch the monologue". Deadline. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  16. ^ Chmielewski, Dawn; Shepardson, David; Gorman, Steve (September 23, 2025). "Disney says Kimmel will return to the air on Tuesday, six days after suspension". Reuters. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  17. ^ White, Peter (October 8, 2025). "Jimmy Kimmel Wants Dana Walden To Be The Next Disney CEO, But Doesn't Want To Talk About His Late-Night Future". Deadline. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  18. ^ Weprin, Alex (February 3, 2026). "Disney Names Josh D'Amaro Its New CEO, Dana Walden Named President and Chief Creative Officer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  19. ^ Weprin, Alex (February 3, 2026). "Inside Disney's Succession: Board Chair James Gorman on What Went Into Finding the Next CEO". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  20. ^ Variety Staff (June 8, 2018). "Fox's Dana Walden Joins Live Nation Entertainment Board". Variety.
  21. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (October 8, 2019). "Dana Walden Backs the Cancer Center That Helped Save Her Mother's Life". Variety.
  22. ^ "WEDDINGS;Dana Freedman, Matthew Walden". The New York Times. December 17, 1995. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  23. ^ Brower, Alison (December 8, 2017). "Shonda Rhimes, Dana Walden, More Hollywood Moguls Pose With Their Daughters". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  24. ^ Martin, Douglas (February 17, 2001). "Rose Freedman, Last Survivor of Triangle Fire, Dies at 107". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  25. ^ Uriel-Beeri, Tamar (September 22, 2022). "Jewish chair Dana Walden shapes creation of Disney content". The Jerusalem Post.
  26. ^ Schwartzel, Erich; Krouse, Sarah (October 26, 2024). "They're Close Friends—and Stars in America's Biggest Succession Dramas". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  27. ^ Stanhope, Kate (May 28, 2015). "Fox Chiefs Dana Walden and Gary Newman Named MIPCOM's Personality of the Year". The Hollywood Reporter.
  28. ^ "Dana Walden". Variety.
  29. ^ "The Hollywood Reporter's 2019 Women in Entertainment Power 100". The Hollywood Reporter. December 11, 2019.
  30. ^ Gardner, Chris (February 7, 2021). "Dana Walden Talks COVID-19 Protocols, Embracing Failure and Promoting Diversity During Harvard Fireside Chat". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  31. ^ "The World's Most Powerful Women 2023". Forbes.
  32. ^ "Most Powerful Women". Fortune.
  33. ^ Stephan, Katcy (November 4, 2024). "Dana Walden to Receive Milestone Award at 2025 Producers Guild Awards". Variety. Retrieved November 27, 2024.


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