Dana Walden
Dana Walden | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dana M. Freedman October 1964 (age 59) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Employer | The Walt Disney Company (2019–present) |
| Title | Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment |
| Board member of | Live Nation Entertainment UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Saban Free Clinic of Los Angeles |
| Children | 2 |
Dana Walden (born 1964) is an American businesswoman and the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. She currently serves as a member of the President's Export Council.[1]
Career
[edit]Fox Television Group
[edit]Before her tenure at Disney Entertainment, Walden was previously chairman and CEO of Fox Television Group,[2] which included Fox Broadcasting Company, 20th Century Fox Television, Fox 21 Television Studios, Fox Consumer Products and the syndication supplier, 20th Television.[3][4]
The Walt Disney Company
[edit]Walden was chairman of Entertainment at Walt Disney Television.
On June 9, 2022, Walden replaced Peter Rice as Chairman of Disney General Entertainment Content[5]
Dana Walden was named co-chairman of Disney Entertainment on February 8, 2023, where she is responsible for global streaming and television.[6][7] 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. [5]
In April 2024, CNBC reported that Walden was in the running to become Disney's next CEO, [8] if chosen, she would be the first female CEO of Disney in its 100-year history.[9]
Other board positions
[edit]Walden sits on the board of directors for Live Nation Entertainment[10] and UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.[11]
Personal life
[edit]Walden is married and has two children. She lives in Brentwood, Los Angeles. Her grandmother Rose Freedman was a survivor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire who lived to the age of 107.[12] She is of Jewish descent.[13]
Awards and accolades
[edit]Walden was named MIPCOM's Personality of the Year in 2015.[14] She has been named "Showman of the Year" by Variety and "Executive of the Year" in 2019 by The Hollywood Reporter.[15][16] In 2021, Walden was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business.[17] In 2023, Walden ranked 39th in Forbes Magazine's list of "World's 100 most powerful women"[18] She was ranked 39th on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women in 2023.[19]
References
[edit]- ^ "President's Export Council Members". International Trade Administration. 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (July 14, 2014). "Dana Walden, Gary Newman Take Over Fox Broadcasting in Restructuring". Variety.
- ^ Rose, Lacey (December 5, 2012). "20th TV's Dana Walden On Her Career-Changing 'Jerry Maguire' Moment". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Dana Walden on TV's 'Existential Crisis,' TV Studio Vision and Why She Joined Disney". June 19, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Dana Walden". The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ White, Peter (2023-02-08). "Dana Walden & Alan Bergman To Oversee New Disney Entertainment Unit". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ Sherman, Alex (April 1, 2024). "How Dana Walden could defy critics and become Disney's first female CEO". CNBC.
- ^ Sherman, Alex (2024-04-01). "How Dana Walden could defy critics and become Disney's first female CEO". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
- ^ Variety Staff (June 8, 2018). "Fox's Dana Walden Joins Live Nation Entertainment Board". Variety.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (October 8, 2019). "Dana Walden Backs the Cancer Center That Helped Save Her Mother's Life". Variety.
- ^ Martin, Douglas (February 17, 2001). "Rose Freedman, Last Survivor of Triangle Fire, Dies at 107". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ Uriel-Beeri, Tamar (September 22, 2022). "Jewish chair Dana Walden shapes creation of Disney content". The Jerusalem Post.
- ^ Stanhope, Kate (May 28, 2015). "Fox Chiefs Dana Walden and Gary Newman Named MIPCOM's Personality of the Year". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Dana Walden". Variety.
- ^ "The Hollywood Reporter's 2019 Women in Entertainment Power 100". The Hollywood Reporter. December 11, 2019.
- ^ Gardner, Chris (2021-02-07). "Dana Walden Talks COVID-19 Protocols, Embracing Failure and Promoting Diversity During Harvard Fireside Chat". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "The World's Most Powerful Women 2023". Forbes.
- ^ "Most Powerful Women". Fortune.
- American chief executives in the media industry
- American women chief executives
- University of Southern California alumni
- American television executives
- 20th-century American Jews
- 1964 births
- Living people
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- People from Brentwood, Los Angeles
- Disney executives
- 21st-century American Jews
- American Broadcasting Company executives
- Presidents of the American Broadcasting Company