It’s been two weeks since Bob Iger returned to the role of CEO at The Walt Disney Company; however, it appears that his successor is already being discussed.

You might recall that Iger’s current stint as CEO is only for two years. According to Deadline, the company’s current chief financial officer (CFO) might be the frontrunner to lead the company when Iger’s time expires.

An insider close to the company told Deadline, “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.” If she is everyone’s top pic for the job, she is poised to be the first woman to ever hold the position in the company’s century-long history.

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Now, McCarthy is reportedly the person who led the charge to have Chapek removed a few weeks ago. The decision came as a response to a multitude of missteps taken by Chapek since being put in charge in 2020.

She’s said to be so integral to the company that, when she told Susan Arnold she was going to resign if Chapek wasn’t removed, the company acted immediately.

Despite her power and her experience, insiders speculate that the only thing not on McCarthy’s side is time. McCarthy is currently 67-years-old. “Bob Iger was originally supposed to retire about six years ago when he was 65, ” one insider told the outlet. “So I don’t see them hiring someone [that age] to be CEO” for the long term. “

We won’t know for sure who Iger’s successor will be until closer to his (hopefully final) end date. Still, at this stage, McCarthy should not be underestimated.

SOURCE: Deadline