Disney Entertainment Unveils New Leadership Structure

The Walt Disney Company has set its leadership team for the expanded Disney Entertainment segment, with Alan Bergman as chairman of Disney Entertainment Studios and Debra O’Connell as chairman of Disney Entertainment Television.

Bergman will continue overseeing all aspects of the company’s film studios, including production, marketing and distribution, and will maintain shared oversight of director-to-consumer alongside Dana Walden, the new president and chief creative officer of Disney.

O’Connell will oversee the television brands, including ABC Entertainment, Disney Branded Television, Hulu Originals, National Geographic Content and creative for 20th Television and 20th Television Animation. She will also continue to oversee ABC News and the ABC-owned television stations.

Joe Earley and Adam Smith will serve as co-presidents of direct-to-consumer, sharing responsibility for strategy and financial performance across Disney+ and Hulu. They will report to Walden and Bergman.

Earley will also serve as head of content strategy for direct-to-consumer, while Smith will continue as chief product and technology officer for Disney Entertainment and for ESPN, where he will continue to report to ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

Sean Shoptaw has been tapped as executive VP of games and digital entertainment, and he, along with his organization, will now join Disney Entertainment, reporting to Walden. Shoptaw oversees the company’s games business and its collaboration with Epic Games, developing a Disney universe connected to Fortnite, and brings insight into the central role that games play in today’s entertainment landscape.

John Landgraf will continue serving as chairman of FX, reporting to Walden.

Asad Ayaz will serve as chief marketing and brand officer.

“The strength of Disney has always been the emotional connection between our stories and the people who love them,” Walden said. “As fans engage with Disney across more formats and platforms than ever before, we are bringing together the full power of our creative businesses to build an even more connected experience for audiences. I’m very fortunate to work alongside such a passionate and talented group of leaders who are driven by the joy of storytelling, and I’m especially excited to work with our new CEO Josh D’Amaro as we enter this next chapter together.”