Why Morgan Stanley's James Gorman Now Runs Disney's Board episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 22, 2026 · 4 MIN

Why Morgan Stanley's James Gorman Now Runs Disney's Board

from The Option · host Oil&Cattle

James Gorman becomes Disney Chairman — The former Morgan Stanley CEO is now the most powerful person at Disney, leading the search for Bob Iger's replacement. What does a Wall Street banker running Disney's board tell you about the company's future? In this episode of The Option, we explore: James Gorman's Morgan Stanley playbook and what it means for Disney strategy The leading CEO candidates: Josh D'Amaro (parks) vs. Dana Walden (content) Why Disney's core strategic question is financial, not creative What a banker-chairman signals for Disney's streaming investment and asset sales Timeline for Disney's CEO announcement before D23 2026 Key takeaway: Disney put a banker in charge of succession because the next CEO's job is finance, not storytelling. The Option is a daily podcast covering Hollywood business news, Disney strategy, media executive moves, and entertainment industry analysis. New episodes weekdays at 6 AM PT. Keywords: James Gorman Disney, Disney CEO search, Bob Iger replacement, Disney chairman, Josh D'Amaro, Dana Walden, Disney succession, Morgan Stanley Disney, Disney+ profitability]]>

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Why Morgan Stanley's James Gorman Now Runs Disney's Board

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