EA CEO Andrew Wilson reportedly being considered for top Disney job
Disney is reportedly considering Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson as a successor to current boss Bob Iger.
That’s according to the Wall Street Journal’s sources, who claim that Australian-born Wilson is currently one of three external candidates in the frame for the job.
Internal candidates being considered for the role reportedly include Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, and Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro.
Iger, who is in his second spell as Disney CEO, is due to step down when his contract expires in 2026.
Wilson joined EA in 2000 and has served as its chairman and CEO since 2013.
“Prior to becoming CEO, Andrew served as executive vice president of EA Sports and Origin where he led the global EA Sports business, as well as EA’s digital PC service,” according to his profile on the company’s website.
“Previous to this, he led all aspects of EA’s online organization, including the company’s Asia business operations and direct-to-consumer services. Andrew also served as vice president and executive producer of all EA Sports FIFA games, growing the IP into one of the most popular video game franchises of all time.”
During his first spell in charge of Disney, Iger oversaw the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox.
A Bloomberg report last October claimed Iger’s deputies were pushing him to consider acquiring a major game publisher like EA.
Senior executives wanted Iger to explore the possibility of transforming the company from a gaming licensee to a gaming giant with major first-party capabilities, it was claimed.
As well as working on various Star Wars titles, including Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi series, EA is making “several new games” based on Marvel properties, including Iron Man and Black Panther titles.
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