Biography
Dana Walden is the chairman of Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment, overseeing the group of business units that includes Disney Television Studios, ABC Entertainment, Freeform and the ABC Owned Television Stations. Walden additionally oversees the Hulu Scripted Originals team. She reports to Peter Rice, chairman, Walt Disney Television.
She previously served as chairman and CEO of Fox Television Group, which comprised the Fox Broadcasting Company, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios, the licensing division Fox Consumer Products and syndication supplier, Twentieth Television.
Recently chosen by Variety as one of six Power of Women honorees and named Executive of the Year by The Hollywood Reporter, she has received NATPE's Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award for her contribution to the industry, was named MIPCOM's "Personality of the Year," was inducted into Broadcasting & Cable's Television Hall of Fame, and was named "Showman of the Year" by Variety and "Television Showman of the Year" by the Publicists of the International Cinematographers Guild.
In the four years overseeing the Fox Broadcasting Company, she took the network from fourth place to first, and launched and oversaw hit series such as "9-1-1," "Empire" and "The Masked Singer."
In the 20 years she has overseen the studios, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios amassed 184 Emmy® wins, 29 Golden Globes®, 17 Screen Actors Guild Awards and 24 Peabody Awards and Humanitas Prizes. Additionally, Walden was responsible for hit after hit, from the No. 1 broadcast drama "This Is Us" and the multiple Emmy Award winner "Modern Family" to FX's top franchise "American Horror Story" and the Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning drama "Homeland." Recently, the studio's "Fosse/Verdon" took home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress and "Pose" for Outstanding Lead Actor. Other landmark series under Walden's purview included the global franchise "24," "How I Met Your Mother," "Glee," "The People V. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story," "Ally McBeal," "The Practice," "Bob's Burgers," "Sons of Anarchy" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The studio's "The Simpsons" is the longest-running prime-time scripted series of all time, surpassing "Gunsmoke," and recently won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Series for the 11th time. The studio's content now reaches more than 1 billion people every day across the world; in as many as 180 countries, across six continents, in 30 different languages.
Walden began her career at the public relations firm Bender, Goldman & Helper. At Fox, she rose through the ranks in roles that ranged from communications to programming, ultimately serving as executive vice president of Drama before being named head of the studio in 1999. She sits on the board of directors for Live Nation, UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Saban Free Clinic of Los Angeles.
