The Walt Disney Company has nominated Jeff Williams, the former Chief Operating Officer of Apple Inc., to stand for election as a new independent director at its 2026 annual shareholder meeting. This nomination marks a strategic expansion of Disney’s governance, set to increase the board’s total size to 11 members upon the election’s conclusion. Williams, who retired from Apple earlier this year, spent nearly three decades at the tech giant, serving as COO from 2015 where he managed the company’s global supply chain, support functions, and its renowned design team.
Williams is widely recognized for architecting Apple’s health and fitness strategy and leading the development of the Apple Watch, a pivotal product in the company’s wearables portfolio. His career at Apple began in 1998 as Head of Worldwide Procurement, and he later played a critical role in the operational launch of the first iPhone in 2007. Prior to his tenure at Apple, Williams held various engineering and operational positions at IBM.
James P. Gorman, Chairman of the Disney Board, emphasized that Williams’ experience at the “intersection of technology, global operations and product design” makes him a vital addition as the entertainment giant continues to fuse creative storytelling with technical innovation. Shareholders will vote on Williams’ appointment, alongside the re-election of the current 10 directors, at the upcoming annual meeting.
