{{short description|American businesswoman (born 1954)}} {{Infobox person | name = Susan Arnold | image = | caption = Arnold in 2014 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|3|8}} | birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | occupation = Executive | employer = The Walt Disney Company | title = Chairman | term = 2021–2023 | predecessor = Bob Iger (2012–2021) | successor = Mark Parker (2023-2025) | relatives = }}
'''Susan E. Arnold''' (born March 8, 1954) is an American business executive who formerly served as the chairman of The Walt Disney Company.
==Early life and education== Arnold graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and from the University of Pittsburgh with a Master of Business Administration degree.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Susan E Arnold, Walt Disney Co: Profile and Biography - Bloomberg Markets |url=https://bloomberg.com/profile/person/1921848 |access-date=2022-09-10 |website=Bloomberg}}</ref>
==Career== Susan Arnold began her career as a brand assistant for the Dawn/Ivory Snow Group at Procter Gamble in 1980. In 1999, she assumed global responsibility for Procter & Gamble's beauty business, thereby becoming the first woman to reach a president-level position in the company.<ref>{{cite news |last=Neff |first=Jack |title=Susan Arnold to Retire From P&G |url=https://adage.com/article/people-players/arnold-retire-p-g-clear-mcdonald-ceo/135109 |access-date=28 November 2023 |date=9 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Procter & Gambles Susan Arnold to retire |url=https://www.marketingweek.com/procter-gambles-susan-arnold-to-retire/ |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=Marketing Week |date=10 March 2009 |language=en}}</ref> She stepped down from her position at Procter & Gamble on September 1, 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vanac |first=Mary |title=Procter & Gamble veteran Susan Arnold steps down as global business president |url=https://medcitynews.com/2009/03/procter-gamble-veteran-susan-arnold-steps-down-as-global-business-president/ |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=MedCity News |date=9 March 2009}}</ref>
Between 2013 and 2021, Arnold served as an operating executive of The Carlyle Group.<ref>{{cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |title=Susan Arnold Will Take Disney Chairman Role After Bob Iger's Departure |url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/susan-arnold-disney-chairman-bob-iger-1235123402/ |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=Variety |date=1 December 2021}}</ref> She is based in New York. Arnold has served on the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company since 2007,<ref name=disney2007nowhead>{{cite news|url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/susan-arnold-named-chairman-of-the-board-of-the-walt-disney-company-effective-december-31-2/|title=Susan Arnold Named Chairman of the Board of The Walt Disney Company, Effective December 31|publisher=Walt Disney Company|date=December 1, 2021|access-date=December 13, 2021}}</ref> as well as the Carlyle portfolio investments company NBTY, The Nature's Bounty Co. She has also been a member of the Board of Directors of McDonald's Co. since 2008. In 2004 she became Vice Chairman of Procter & Gamble and President of the company in 2007.<ref name="a">{{cite web | title=The Walt Disney Company - Susan Arnold Biography | url=http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/bios/susan_arnold.html | access-date= September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="b">{{cite web | title=Susan Arnold, The Most Powerful Women - Forbes.com | url=http://wwwtest.forbes.com/lists/2005/11/87H4.html | access-date=September 27, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118153808/http://wwwtest.forbes.com/lists/2005/11/87H4.html | archive-date=January 18, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Blakeley |first=Kiri |title=Procter & Gamble's Arnold Resigns |url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/03/10/resignation-executive-arnold-women-business-procter-gamble.html |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>
On December 1, 2021,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/01/disney-names-susan-arnold-as-board-chair-replacing-bob-iger.html|title=Disney names Susan Arnold as board chair, replacing Bob Iger|first=Jessica|last=Bursztynsky|publisher=CNBC|date=1 December 2021|access-date=13 December 2021}}</ref><ref name=disney2007nowhead /> Arnold was appointed to replace Bob Iger as chair of the board at The Walt Disney Company and became the first woman to be appointed to this position in the 98-year history of Disney.<ref>{{cite news | title=Disney appoints woman as chair for first time in 98-year history | work=BBC News| date=2 December 2021| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59500682}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Susan Arnold: After 98 years, Walt Disney gets first woman chair | newspaper=Business Standard India| date=3 December 2021| url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/susan-arnold-after-98-years-walt-disney-gets-first-woman-chair-121120300030_1.html| last1=Palmeri| first1=Christopher}}</ref> She was elected chair on December 31, 2021.<ref name="disney2007nowhead2">{{cite news |date=December 1, 2021 |title=Susan Arnold Named Chairman of the Board of The Walt Disney Company, Effective December 31 |publisher=Walt Disney Company |url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/susan-arnold-named-chairman-of-the-board-of-the-walt-disney-company-effective-december-31-2/ |access-date=December 13, 2021}}</ref> On January 11, 2023, Disney announced that Arnold would no longer serve as the board's chair after the next annual shareholder meeting and would be replaced by former Nike CEO Mark Parker.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maas |first=Jennifer |date=2023-01-11 |title=Mark Parker Named Disney Chairman, Succeeding Susan Arnold; Board Opposes Nelson Peltz’s Attempt to Join |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/mark-parker-disney-chairman-susan-arnold-exit-1235486415/ |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldsmith |first=Jill |date=2023-01-11 |title=Disney Elects Mark Parker Board Chairman, Replacing Susan Arnold; Faces Proxy Fight As Activist Investor Nelson Peltz Seeks A Seat |url=https://deadline.com/2023/01/disney-mark-parker-board-chairman-susan-arnold-activist-investor-nelson-peltz-1235218721/ |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Personal life== Arnold is openly lesbian.<ref>Rhiza Dizon, 'Sears or Playboy May Get Gay CEO', The Advocate, March 10, 2009 {{cite web |url=http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid74819.asp |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-03-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090315031000/http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid74819.asp |archive-date=2009-03-15 }}</ref><ref>Marc Gunther, 'Queer Inc.: How Corporate America fell in love with gays and lesbians. It's a movement.', CNN, November 30, 2006 [https://web.archive.org/web/20061207055820/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/12/11/8395465/index.htm]</ref> Since 2002, she has been listed on ''Fortune'' magazine's 50 Most Powerful Women in Business as #7 in 2008. In 2004 and 2005, she was listed on the Wall Street Journal's 50 Women to Watch. She was listed multiple times on the Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful Women and in 2005 she was No. 16 on ''Forbes''{{'}} The World's 100 Most Powerful Women list. She served for several years on the executive committee of Catalyst, a nonprofit organization working toward the advancement of women in business.<ref name="a"/><ref name="b"/> In June 2022, she was recognized by the International Hospitality Institute on the Global 100 in Hospitality as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mix |first=Pulse |date=2022-08-01 |title=Dr Jeffrey Obomeghie and Dupe Olusola among the 100 most powerful people in global hospitality |url=https://www.pulse.ng/business/dr-jeffrey-obomeghie-and-dupe-olusola-among-the-100-most-powerful-people-in-global/3f8n19m |access-date=2022-08-03 |newspaper=Pulse Nigeria|language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{s-bus}} {{succession box | title=Disney chairman | before=Bob Iger | after=Mark Parker | years=2021–2023}} {{s-end}} {{Disney Chairmen}} {{Disney}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, Susan}} Category:Living people Category:Procter & Gamble people Category:McDonald's people Category:Directors of The Walt Disney Company Category:Wharton School alumni Category:Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business alumni Category:1954 births Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:20th-century American businesswomen Category:American LGBTQ businesspeople Category:Lesbian businesswomen Category:21st-century American businesswomen Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:American women corporate directors Category:Chairmen of The Walt Disney Company Category:The Carlyle Group people Category:LGBTQ people from Pennsylvania