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Darren Walker named president and CEO of Anonymous Content
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The former Ford Foundation president will be based in the company’s Los Angeles and New York offices, effective February 17.
Anonymous Content has announced that Darren Walker will join the leading global premium content and management company as President & CEO, bringing decades of experience leading complex, culture-defining businesses and institutions at global scale. Walker will be based in the company’s Los Angeles and New York offices, effective February 17.
As CEO of Anonymous Content, Walker will oversee all aspects of the company, working closely with the company’s existing leadership team across the brand studio film, television, and representation businesses, as well as global operations, as Anonymous Content continues to produce award-winning commercials, branded entertainment and long-form content.
On behalf of the Anonymous Content Board, Michael Klein said, “Anonymous Content has always been powered by exceptional people and a belief in creative independence. We have deep confidence in the strength of this team and the company’s direction.”
Anna Golin, member of the Anonymous Content Board, added, “We are thrilled to partner with Darren Walker as CEO and believe his leadership will position Anonymous Content to support its artists, expand its global ambitions, and build on my father’s creative legacy that has defined the company for more than twenty-five years.”
“When I was approached about joining Anonymous Content, it became clear that this is a company defined by creative excellence, independent ownership, and the freedom to take long-term bets on artists and stories,” said Walker. “That independence, especially in a moment of profound change, uniquely positions Anonymous Content to shape culture for decades to come. I’m ready to get to work and carry that legacy forward.”
As Walker joins the company, Emerson Collective is making a material investment to support the company’s growth, further strengthening Anonymous Content’s ability to build a world-class team and creative slate. The company has been led recently by its longtime division heads, who will be joined by Walker.
Across his career, Walker has focused on building durable institutions that support artists, storytellers, and creative ecosystems while navigating complex global, financial, and cultural landscapes.
Walker is the former president of the Ford Foundation, where he served as chief executive of one of the world’s most influential global institutions, leading a $17 billion endowment and operations across 10 regions worldwide with 500 employees around the globe.
At Ford, Walker was known for pairing cultural leadership with financial and operational rigor, including conceiving and executing a landmark $1 billion social bond, the first of its kind in the United States, to stabilise nonprofit institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also played an integral leadership role in the successful resolution of Detroit’s bankruptcy, the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. During his tenure, he also established the JustFilms program, a documentary film fund, and partnered with the Sundance Institute Directors Lab and Tribeca Film Institute to support new initiatives for emerging filmmakers.
Walker is currently the president of the Board of the National Gallery of Art, America’s art museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC, where he oversees a $250 million annual budget.
Before joining Ford, Walker was vice president at the Rockefeller Foundation, where he oversaw global and domestic programs spanning economic development, culture, and public policy. He is an accomplished attorney and capital markets professional, and earlier in his career led one of the nation’s largest community development initiatives in Harlem and spent a decade working in international law and finance at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and UBS.
Walker has long operated at the intersection of culture, business, and public life, working closely with artists, institutions, and creative organisations across disciplines. He currently advises some of the world’s strongest brands on governance, strategy, and leadership, including serving on the boards of Ralph Lauren Corporation, the Obama Foundation, Bloomberg LP, Clooney Foundation for Justice, Waverley Street Foundation, Perelman Performing Arts Center, and Art Bridges Foundation, and previously served on the boards of PepsiCo, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the High Line.
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been recognised globally for his leadership across culture and public life. He has been named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and has received numerous international honours, including France’s Commander des Arts et des Lettres, appointment to the Order of the British Empire for services to UK-US relations, and the National Humanities Medal, awarded by President Biden in 2024.
Walker received his bachelor’s and law degrees from The University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of two books exploring culture, philanthropy, democracy, and American identity: From Generosity to Justice and The Idea of America.
