Walt Disney started girding itself towards a problem from activist investor Nelson Peltz, who nominated himself to the board in what may change into a extremely public debate over Chief Government Officer Bob Iger’s management.
Mark Parker, the manager chair of Nike Inc., will take over as chairman from Susan Arnold, who’s stepping down on the firm’s subsequent annual assembly, Disney mentioned Wednesday. Parker may even lead a brand new succession planning committee to advise Iger, who has been criticized for failing to groom a alternative.
Disney mentioned it rejected a proposal from Peltz’s Trian Companions LP to call its chief to the board, however “stays open to constructive engagement and concepts that assist drive shareholder worth.”
The strikes pit probably the most infamous activist buyers in company America towards probably the most revered CEOs in media. Peltz is understood for working his manner onto the board of corporations corresponding to Mondelez Worldwide and Procter & Gamble Co. with plans to make them extra environment friendly, typically forcing his manner in by bruising proxy battles. Even when he’s unsuccessful, as with a marketing campaign to place Trian nominees on the board of DuPont, his campaigns have led to modifications in administration and cost-cutting.
In a blistering assertion, Trian — which holds a $900 million stake in Disney — famous that the inventory is close to an eight-year low, a mirrored image of what it mentioned was failed succession planning, “over-the-top” compensation practices and an absence of price self-discipline. Among the many points, Trian mentioned Disney overpaid when it purchased Fox’s leisure belongings in 2019 for $71 billion.
“Disney’s current efficiency displays the exhausting reality that it’s a firm in disaster,” Trian mentioned.
Whereas the investor referred to as Disney’s issues self-inflicted, Trian mentioned it wasn’t trying to take away Iger or break the corporate up. As an alternative Peltz is in favor of de-leveraging Disney and restoring the corporate’s dividend by 2025. The agency launched a web site, Restore the Magic, to get its message out.
The battle is an uncommon rebuke of Iger, who grew to become probably the most widespread CEOs in media when he first ran Disney between 2005 and 2020. He delayed his retirement repeatedly as he struggled to nominate a successor, and several other candidates seen as attainable replacements left the corporate. Iger ultimately handed the title to Bob Chapek shortly earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic grew to become a significant disaster within the US.
Final yr Disney’s board renewed Chapek’s contract, even after quite a few high-profile missteps, together with a public spat with the governor of Florida. Simply 5 months later, the board fired Chapek and rehired Iger, which analysts and company governance specialists noticed as an indication of poor succession planning.
In its assertion Disney mentioned it has spoken to Peltz a number of occasions about his nomination, and different modifications he’s in search of to the corporate’s bylaws. The corporate stays against his appointment to the board.
Disney additionally identified that underneath Iger’s earlier tenure the inventory rose a market-beating 554%. Iger has taken “decisive steps” to realign the corporate’s conventional TV and streaming enterprise, the corporate mentioned. Disney’s direct-to-consumer unit recorded a $1.47 billion loss throughout Chapek’s final quarter as CEO.
Arnold was the primary girl to function chairman of the leisure large. The previous Procter & Gamble Co. government has been a director since 2007 and was named chair after Iger, who’s now 71, retired in December 2021.
Disney mentioned Arnold had reached the board’s 15-year time period restrict for administrators. The annual assembly, which marks the top of her tenure, hasn’t but been scheduled.
The corporate’s inventory has gained 10.9% this yr by Wednesday’s shut. It rose 1.4% in after-hours buying and selling.
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