The former Fox film chair is said to be uninterested in returning to the corporate world.Cross one potential successor for Disney CEO Bob Iger off the list.
People familiar with the mind-set of Peter Chernin say the media investor and former Fox film chairman won't take over the world's largest entertainment company if Iger retires as planned in 2018. Chernin, 64, is said to be uninterested in re-joining the corporate world or abandoning his current business pursuits. He is CEO of The Chernin Group, which focuses on developing content for television and film, and also makes strategic investments in technology and media companies. In addition, his Otter Media, a joint venture with telecom giant AT&T, invests in digital media companies and over the top video services.
The Chernin speculation arose late Monday when Thomas Staggs announced he would step down from the chief operating officer position at Disney, where he was being groomed to replace Iger. The surprise move was accompanied by a statement from Disney saying its board of directors "will broaden the scope of its succession planning process to identify and evaluate a robust slate of candidates for consideration" as the next CEO. Other names that have been thrown around include Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke and Iger himself, 65, whose contract the board could choose to extend beyond 2018, just as it did last time Iger announced his retirement.
