Disney defends Iger, says activist Peltz has ‘no track record’ in big media

Disney pushed back on Nelson Peltz’s bid for a board seat Tuesday, as the entertainment giant’s proxy fight with the investor and his activist firm, Trian Fund Management, takes shape.

Disney said in a securities filing Tuesday that its board was where it needed to be to move the company forward. The company also defended CEO Bob Iger’s past acquisitions and said Peltz didn’t have an understanding of Disney’s business, lacked the skills to drive shareholder value and presented no strategy.

“Peltz has no track record in large cap media or tech, no solutions to offer for the evolving media landscape,” Disney said in an investor presentation that was released Tuesday.

Last week, Peltz laid out his case for a proxy fight with Disney on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” after Trian filed a preliminary proxy statement looking for a seat on the board.

Peltz raised issues with how shareholder value has eroded recently and Disney’s $71 billion acquisition of Fox in 2019. Trian has also called out what it called poor corporate governance, including failed succession planning and Disney’s lack of engagement with Trian in recent months.

–CNBC’s David Faber contributed to this report.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.