It’s hard to imagine the American Film Institute‘s board of directors without Bob Daly, but that will be the case as of next week. The former CBS and Warner Bros boss is stepping down after 17 years as its chairman — and 45 as a trustee.
Daly, who first joined the board in 1981, will exit the top post at the October 21 board meeting, where a successor will be discussed.
“In a career that brought me from running CBS to Warner Bros to the Los Angeles Dodgers, I can honestly say that serving as Chairman of the AFI Board of Directors has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” Daly said in a statement. “This is a board that represents all aspects of the film and television communities, and to see they come together with a shared passion for the art form has been a wonder to behold. Long live the AFI.”
A rep for AFI said Daly, who joined the board in April 1981, is stepping down to pass the torch to the next generation.
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Daly began his career at CBS, where he spent 25 years. He joined Warner Bros in 1980 and served as chairman and co-CEO with Terry Semel for nearly two decades. The pair were credited with 16 consecutive years of record earnings. Daly then was chairman and CEO of the Dodgers, the MLB team then-owned by News Corp. He also was chairman of the Save the Children board for five years.
“Leadership is an art in itself – and in that regard, Mr. Daly is a master,” AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale said. “Over the past 40 years, no single person has had a greater impact on AFI’s work in preservation, celebration and education than Bob Daly.”