Disney Names Anne Sweeney’s Successor

BURBANK: Ben Sherwood, the president of ABC News, will take over as co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group on February 1, 2015, succeeding Anne Sweeney.

Effective immediately, Sherwood will begin the transition as co-president of Disney/ABC Television Group. He will also continue to oversee ABC News until a replacement is named.

Sweeney will remain as co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of the Disney/ABC Television Group through January 2015. She recently announced that she would be stepping down to pursue a career in television directing.

Robert A. Iger, the chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said, “Ben is one of those unique executives who combine rich creative experience with great business acumen.  He’s also focused, strategic and competitive, as evidenced by the success of GMA, the Yahoo deal that delivered ABC News online dominance, and his vision behind our new cable and digital joint venture, Fusion. These reasons, and many others, make Ben the ideal candidate to oversee the future of the Disney/ABC Television Group.”

Sweeney added, "It was Ben’s intense passion and incredible insight that made us confident he’d do great things as President of ABC News.  Over the years, he has moved from success-to-success, and helped create a more vibrant, collaborative and powerful News division that embraces innovation and risk-taking.  Ben’s now set to bring those same attributes to bear for the larger Group, and I could not be more thrilled. This announcement simply highlights the fact that our talent and succession planning process works."

Sherwood stated, "I am honored and humbled that Bob has entrusted me with this great responsibility and amazing opportunity. I'm also deeply grateful to Anne, who has built and led a powerhouse division over the last 10 years. I am looking forward to her counsel and wisdom during this transition period. I must also thank the remarkable people of ABC News who inspire me every day with their creativity, dedication and spirit.  I will keep their commitment to excellence and their fierce competitiveness firmly in mind as I move forward to meet this exciting new challenge."