Following the surprising return of Bob Iger to the helm of The Walt Disney Company, longtime Mouse House executive and current Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy has reportedly emerged as the Boomerang CEO’s likely replacement at the end of his two-year contract (or sooner).
Described as a “king killer” by Deadline, McCarthy became the public face of the the top-level executive rebellion that ousted former CEO Bob Chapek. The coup was inspired by shocking financial losses over the last 18 months — a big chunk being spending on streaming, which more than doubled to $1.5 billion in the fourth fiscal quarter.
According to a company insider: “Christine has always been a force to be reckoned with, but you have to put her on a list of top five possibilities after the last few weeks.”
McCarthy was named CFO in 2015, and helped Iger safely steer the entertainment behemoth from behind the scenes during his previous tenure. She was a savvy aid to several key mergers and a strong hand on the wheel as Disney navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.
McCarthy was elevated to her current post from EVP, Corporate Real Estate, Alliances and Treasurer, responsible for the enterprise-wide management of a variety of functions. Prior to joining the company in 2000, McCarthy was EVP and CFO of banking, loan and financial services company Imperial Bancorp (1997-2000), and held various positions as First Interstate Bancorp (1981-1996).
[Source: Deadline]
