The Bob Iger Succession Plan: Could a board member be in line?

Iger and the board should consider a successful sales executive.

Linda Yaccarino’s arrival at Twitter as CEO is evidence that big sales executives deserve to be taken seriously as prospective CEO candidates, according to prominent tech and advertising executives at Cannes Lions. 

They reason that if Yaccarino can make it to the top of Elon Musk’s Twitter then there’s a lane for another hugely ambitious and experienced sales executive, Carolyn Everson, to take on one of the biggest roles in Corporate America: CEO of Disney. 

Everson quit what was then called Facebook because, like Yaccarino, she wanted to become a CEO. So far that goal has eluded her, though Everson is currently a director at Disney. She joined the Disney board after a company deal with activist shareholder Daniel Loeb. (Noteworthy: Loeb also installed Marissa Mayer as Yahoo CEO in 2012.) 

Everson is also on the board at The Coca Cola Co. where she’s spent time with other influential directors including Barry Diller and investment banker Herb Allen, who both know Bob Iger well.

Everson’s resume is impressive. She was president of Instacart, and had one of the toughest jobs in advertising as vice president, global marketing solutions at Meta until 2021. She also ran sales at Microsoft and was the chief operating officer at MTV Networks. She has diplomacy skills, deep relationships, understands technology and sales, and is well liked. Everson’s former boss, Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg was also once on the Disney board and was also discussed as a potential successor to Bob Iger back in 2014. 

Is Everson a candidate? It’s hard to say. In March, Iger told investors at a Morgan Stanley conference that, “Succession is pretty much at the top of the list,” of his priorities, adding that, “It’s between me and the board.”  

One person close to conversations said Iger favors putting a woman in the top slot. Another source said the process is moving along and that things could shift rapidly. 

So who else is in contention? The list of candidates on the CEO shortlist are said to be: Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment; Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN; Kevin Mayer, former chairman of Disney Direct-To-Consumer and International. Mayer was also formerly the CEO of TikTok and is currently co-CEO of Candle Media; Adam Silver NBA Commissioner and EA CEO Andrew Wilson. Silver has said he has no intention of leaving his post. He still has to oversee a huge new rights deal for the NBA which will involve Disney’s ESPN. 

To be sure, Bob Iger could also stick around as executive chairman if the new CEO needs training wheels. Indeed there are also rumors that Bob will extend his stay. Iger’s two year contract as CEO runs out in November 2024, but when Iger stepped down as CEO last time he had also signed a $2 million a year advisory contract through 2026 that was put on pause when he returned last year, according to the FT.  

A Disney spokesperson and Carolyn Everson did not immediately respond for comment.