Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson has been reported to become a Disney successor candidate. This past October, Disney CEO Bob Iger listed business leaders capable of his position. Many people believed Wilson became his fifth pick because Iger considered purchasing EA. Yet, the thought of Wilson taking over Disney made animators and game developers feel afraid.
Finding A New Disney CEO
Bob Iger has listed candidates to become the next Disney CEO. The reason he’s searching for his replacement is because he will retire in 2026. So far, he has handpicked four of Disney’s best leaders who could reshape the company:
Iger’s Candidates
- Dana Walden-Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment for Streaming and Production. Walden has overseen Disney operations between their partnered networks. She has been entrusted with over 30 shows including The Handmaid’s Tale, American Horror Story, and The Bear. The productions Walden has been involved with earned over 1,000 awards and 395 award nominations.
- Josh D’Amaro-Chairman of Disney Experiences. D’Amaro is mainly in charge of Disney Parks in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He currently leads the Walt Disney Imagineers which helps design and bring fictional Disney worlds to life. Because of his experience with catering to guests, D’Amaro also leads Disney Consumer Product manufacturing. These products are made for advertising their IPs.
- Alan Bergman-Co-Chariman of Disney Entertainment for Content Management. Bergman has gone through multiple positions with the company since 1996. He built his leadership around directing multiple group projects. He uses his financial skills to help with studio budgeting, primarily in Marvel, LucasArts, and Pixar.
- James Pitaro-Chairman of ESPN for Disney+. His technical experience from Yahoo helps Disney’s digital marketing campaigns. Pitaro leads most of the company’s online services and e-commerce. He’s also recognized as 2020’s Sports Business Journal Executive of the Year.
Thoughts on Leadership
If I were to rank Iger’s picks, Walden would be number 1. She has high credibility when it comes to producing successful original network shows. Her creative input is seen as valuable and she pays attention to their respectable audiences. The second choice has to be D’Amaro for his advantage in leading the Imagineers. Working and understanding different world cultures is an important deal. D’Amaro has the experience that can make ethnic workers feel comfortable around him. With Walden, they can cooperate with Disney’s writing and art teams.
For the third spot, Bergman would be best suited for budget management. Keeping him in the back end will help him focus on the company’s finances. Last would be James Pitaro for utilizing the Internet for marketing. Wide online access offers opportunities to advertise existing and new Disney IPs. Both he and Bergman share a business degree in economics and affairs. They can be entrusted with future network negotiations. These four candidates are all strong picks, but now Iger has revealed a fifth candidate.
Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA
On Nov. 12th, the Video Game Chronicle that EA CEO Andrew Wilson is considered to be Iger’s successor. He started in the company’s game packaging division and online services in 2000. Wilson climbed his way up into brand development, offering the company sales strategies. Former CEO and Chairman Larry Probst was impressed by his work ethic when he became executive producer for EA’s FIFA franchise. He extended his leadership into the company’s Seoul studio. Soon, Wilson earned his right as executive producer for EA Sports.
Because of his contributions, Probst promoted Wilson to the Chairman position in 2013. However, EA was left in disarray due to microtransactions and dropping game quality. In 2014, Wilson was determined to restructure the company after being called “The Worst Company in America.” This shifted EA’s focus on improving games and partnering with small third-party companies to explore new ideas. 2022 proved their success, earning $7.5 billion at the end of the 4th quarter.
Disney’s Star Wars Short Success
A part of EA’s comeback involves a 10-year contract with Disney. Wilson signed the contract and gained permission to develop the Star Wars video game franchise. The Star Wars Jedi series grew into a fan-favorite with Jedi: Fallen Order receiving positive criticism. However, EA quickly lost the rights after the failure of its sequel, Jedi: Survivor. The game was released with failed loading times and major glitches breaking it. Disney pulled away from EA and teamed up with other developers like Ubisoft and Quantic Dream for future projects.
Why Acquire EA?
As previously mentioned, Wilson has the leadership skills during his 24 years with EA. He is shown to be very ecstatic and motivational to push his team towards success. However, that may not be the whole truth. You see, back in February, CNBC reported that EA laid off 670 workers. Wilson responded that it was necessary to optimize their global real estate footprint. He also stated that EA will be staying away from developing future IPs.
On Sept. 18th, the enthusiastic CEO revealed that EA will be using generative AI. In his words, Wilson told the public, “Efficiency is what we do today faster and cheaper while maintaining high quality. It means removing the obstacles for our game developers. We believe AI will greatly expand and transform the entertainment experience for user-generated content.”
Iger chose Wilson specifically for his belief in using AI to generate content. And the sad part is Iger himself could have wanted this outcome. Last July, She-Hulk actress Tatiana Maslany noticed how her boss looked out of touch from the SAG-AFTRA riots in New York. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez worded it best about the situation: “While this is a fight against AI, it’s also a fight against greed.”
What Lies Ahead For Creatives
As of right now, production studios are facing the wrath of writers, artists, actors, and directors. Watching Disney considering EA’s innovations of generative content is very sickening. Disney is meant to be the cornerstone of bringing imagination to life has now become a nightmare. If Wilson did take Iger’s role as CEO, it would cause many future animators and game developers to lose faith in joining the industry.
Seeing unions like The Animation Guild and SAG-AFTRA has kept me strong as their members grow by the day. I do believe they will reach their goal of fair worker benefits and job security. No one can take away the heart of a creative artist.
