Walt Disney Company has announced a historic decision to promote women’s empowerment in an executive position. The company has named its first female chairperson in its history of 98 years. The company has chosen Susan E. Arnold as Chairman of the Board. The decision of her appointment comes into action from December 31, 2021.
Susan has served as a 14-year member of the Disney Board. She has served as its independent Lead Director since 2018. Now it will take the position of Robert A. Iger as Chairman of the Board when he leaves the Company at the end of the year. Arnold’s appointment comes at a crucial time when multinationals are changing their organizational structure where the CEO and chairperson roles are taken by a single person after a force by corporate-governance experts, shareholders, and, in some cases, regulators to unravel the two roles.
Furthermore, Arnold has broad public-company board experience. She possessed a deep knowledge of brand management and marketing, environmental sustainability, product and business development, international consumer markets, finance, and executive and risk management. She earlier served as an operating executive of the equity investment firm The Carlyle Group, where she worked from 2013 to 2021.
In addition, Disney believed that Susan is an extremely respected executive whose wealth of experience, steadfast honesty, and expert judgment has been valuable to the Company since she first entered the Board in 2007. Susan is the perfect choice for Chairman of the Board. Moreover, Disney is confident that the Company will grow under her guidance and leadership.