Jeff Williams, a former Apple executive who retired from the tech giant earlier this year, will stand for election as a new independent director of Disney at the company’s 2026 annual meeting of shareholders.

With the addition of Williams, the total size of the board will be expanded to 11, effective as of the election of directors at the 2026 annual meeting. Disney’s annual shareholders meetings have taken place in late March or early April in past years.

The expansion of Disney’s board with Williams comes as the company said it expects to announce a CEO successor to Bob Iger in early 2026.

Williams most recently served as chief operating officer at Apple until his exit in July 2025. After becoming COO in 2015, Williams oversaw Apple’s design team and managed all of its global supply chain, service and support functions. During his nearly three-decade career with Apple, Williams was responsible for the launch of the Apple Watch and architecting the company’s health and fitness strategy.

“Jeff Williams is a highly accomplished executive who for decades helped steward one of the most innovative and admired companies that serves billions of consumers across the globe,” James P. Gorman, Disney’s chairman, said in a statement. “Jeff’s proven leadership and unique experience at the intersection of technology, global operations and product design make him a valuable nominee to our board as the company continues to focus on creative storytelling and groundbreaking innovation.”

Williams, in a statement provided by Disney, said: “I have long admired Disney’s legacy of pairing imagination with innovation — leveraging new technologies in bold, creative ways to bring to life timeless stories and entertain its guests. It is an honor to be nominated to the board of this storied company. I look forward to working with Disney’s talented leadership team and contributing to the company’s ongoing journey of creativity and excellence.”

Williams originally joined Apple in 1998 as head of worldwide procurement. In 2004 he was promoted to VP of operations, playing a role in the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. In 2013, in conjunction with his operations role, Williams began leading the Apple Watch project and the company’s expansion into health and fitness. Prior to joining Apple, he held various engineering and operational roles at IBM. Williams earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Duke University.

Currently, Disney’s 10 board members are: James Gorman, formerly Morgan Stanley executive chairman; Disney CEO Bob Iger; Mary Barra, chair and CEO of GM; Amy Chang, former senior executive at Cisco Systems and Google and current director of Procter & Gamble; Carolyn Everson, former senior executive at Instacart, Meta and Microsoft and a current director of the Coca-Cola Co. and Under Armour; Michael Froman, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and former vice chairman and president, strategic growth at Mastercard; Maria Elena Lagomasino, CEO and managing partner of WE Family Offices and a former senior executive at JP Morgan Private Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank and a current director of the Coca-Cola Co.; Calvin McDonald, CEO of Lululemon Athletica; Derica Rice, a former senior executive at CVS Health and Eli Lilly & Co. and a current director of the Carlyle Group, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Target; and former Sky chief Jeremy Darroch.