Anonymous Content Taps Darren Walker As President And CEO

Darren Walker is joining Anonymous Content as President & CEO. Walker will be based in the company’s Los Angeles and New York offices.

“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 CEO of Anonymous Content, Walker will oversee all aspects of the company, working closely with the company’s existing leadership team across film, television, representation, and branded content businesses, as well as global operations.

“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,” Michael Klein said on behalf of the Anonymous Content Board.

As Walker joins the company, Emerson Collective is making a material investment to support the company’s growth. The company has been led recently by its longtime division heads, who will be joined by Walker.

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 $1 billion social bond—the first of its kind in the United States—to stabilize 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.