Since there wasn’t one executive who had done both things, they thought, you know, an idea that would be interesting and potentially successful was to partner us.”.To this point, no studio had presidents. The writing was on the wall.
She has to do her best to exercise authority while still encouraging creativity. It’s hard. With 43 shows on 16 networks and nine Emmys last season, 20th Century Fox TV Chairman & CEO Dana Walden reveals her path to success, perspective on partnerships, and commitment to the creative community.It would seem a fitting cinematic ploy to color Dana Walden’s rise to chairman/CEO of 20th Century Fox Television as a rags-to-riches story. Early life and education. Under her leadership, 20th Century Fox Television has more than 50 current and library series licensed to Netflix and Amazon.Walden’s “Valley girl” roots have an idiomatic pedigree worth mentioning.
She oversees a handful of television studios under the umbrella of 20th Century Fox Television and dozens of executives, many of whom have President or Executive VP in their titles.
"She needed to be sheltered from an environment where there's paparazzi, where people are interested in what she was wearing at a very young age," she explains.
Since Aliza Walden was all of 6 years old, she has wanted to be her mom. The “hop” was her first gig – an assistant at the PR firm of Bender, Goldman & Helper. This, in her mind, required proactivity, or she’d be lost for eternity in the sea of ever-changing executives.Now for the “leap.” Presented with an opportunity, she took a bold, do-or-die course of action. It’s what Horatio Alger stories call a heroic deed. That part where the hero realizes her responsibility to the greater cause.If she were to send one message out today to minorities of all types – African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and those with disabilities – what would she tell them?Without pause or hesitation, Walden answers from her heart. "But my mom never tried to stop me.
Just before going onstage, Dana ran into the head of the company, Fox Television’s honcho, Peter Chernin.Chernin, despite having met Walden more than half a dozen times, cordially put out his hand and introduced himself to her as if it was their first meeting. Trends, cultural change, ever-evolving audiences, and increasing competition from other sources could keep them up nights trying to find their next hit.Asked if she spots future successes through a crystal ball, Walden muses, “If it was from a crystal ball, I’d have one and I’d have less acid reflux.” She then adds, “Less than believing in trends, I believe in people and I bet on people I feel are connected to zeitgeist. Dana Walden and Gary Newman were now partners. No talent or project flew under her radar.The company’s wisdom was, as she recalls, “They felt that the company would benefit from both sides of this equation. In the entertainment industry, fierce dedication to one’s work often takes on the complexion of a marriage. "It took me a while to realize how lucky I was," she says. Dealmaking isn’t easy, and Gary became known for being able to wrestle with difficult egos, clients, agents, managers, fitness trainers, you name it.
",Simone Garcia Johnson, 16, the only daughter of,Simone, who recently signed with IMG Models, isn't sure she'll be spending her entire future in front of the camera. From then on, he knew her very well.Dana and her business partner, Gary Newman.Chernin, perhaps surprisingly, was struck in a positive sense by Walden’s candor. Salhany would soon leave Paramount for the Fox Broadcasting Company, where she rose to chairman of the fledgling network.
It belonged to Ken Horton, who headed up 20th Century Fox Television’s development. And anyone connected with Dana Walden should be, as well. It was a “one leader, one voice” business until tradition was broken in 1999 with an arranged marriage. They’re connected to what’s in the culture, what’s in the air, what resonates .