Ben Sherwood

Ben Sherwood is Co-chair, Disney Media Networks, and President, Disney|ABC Television Group, which includes The Walt Disney Company’s global entertainment and news television properties, owned television stations group, and radio business.

In this role, Sherwood oversees ABC Studios, the ABC Owned Television Stations Group, and the ABC Television Network. He also oversees Disney Channels Worldwide, a portfolio of more than 100 kid-driven, family-inclusive entertainment channels or channel feeds available in 169 countries in 35 languages, including Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Disney Cinemagic, Hungama, and Radio Disney brands.

Additionally, Sherwood’s responsibilities include oversight of cable network ABC Family, and the company’s equity interest in A+E Networks, Fusion, and Hulu. All told, the Disney/ABC portfolio is responsible for the creation of more than 24,000 hours of original content each year.

Prior to this, Sherwood was president, ABC News, a position he had held since December 2010. In this role, he was responsible for all aspects of ABC News' broadcasts as well as ABC News Radio, ABCNEWS.com, satellite service NewsOne and ABC News NOW. ABC News reaches a combined audience of well over 270 million people a month on television, on radio and online.

During Sherwood’s tenure, “Good Morning America” became the #1 morning TV news program, and the news division won the most prestigious honors in the industry, including George Polk, George Foster Peabody, News and Documentary Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, Overseas Press Club, SPJ Sigma Delta Chi and Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards.

Sherwood began his career in journalism in 1989 when he joined ABC News as an investigative associate producer and then producer for ABC News’ “PrimeTime Live.” In 1997, he joined NBC’s “Nightly News with Tom Brokaw,” first as broadcast producer, then senior producer, and ultimately senior broadcast producer. Sherwood returned to ABC News in April 2004 as executive producer of “Good Morning America.”

Over the years Sherwood’s journalism and non-fiction essays have been published in many respected publications. He is the author of two critically acclaimed best-selling novels: The Man Who Ate the 747 (2000) and The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud (2004). In July 2010, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud was adapted as a feature film starring Zac Efron and was released by Universal Pictures under the title “Charlie St. Cloud.” He also authored The Survivors Club (2009), a New York Times' best-selling exploration of the science and secrets of surviving extraordinary adversity – and how to apply those lessons to everyday challenges.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College in 1986, Sherwood earned an AB degree in American government and history. From 1986 to 1989, as a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, he earned master’s degrees in British imperial history and development economics.

Sherwood is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and serves on the boards of the National Constitution Center, the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues and City Year Los Angeles.