Dana Walden is an American businessperson. She currently serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Television Group.
Dana Freedman was born in Los Angeles circa 1965. Her father was in the travel industry and her mother was a dancer. As a teenager, Walden rode show hunters competitively. She earned a degree in communications from the University of Southern California.
Following her graduation, Walden worked for the public relations firm Bender, Goldman & Helper as Larry Goldman's assistant. She spent five years there, rising to the role of vice president. She then managed marketing and communications for talk show host Arsenio Hall. She worked on campaigns for The Arsenio Hall Show and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Media executive Lucie Salhany recruited Walden to work in public relations for 20th Century Fox Television in 1992. Following a "Jerry Maguire moment" during a presentation at a Fox corporate retreat in the mid-1990s, Walden was made a programming executive.
In 1999, Walden and Gary Newman were made co-chairs and CEOs of the Fox studio. In 2014, the pair were promoted to chairman-CEOs of Fox Television Group.
Walden is a boardmember of the Los Angeles Zoo. She is a supporter of the animal rescue organization Chance for Bliss.
Walden is married and has two children. She lives in Brentwood, Los Angeles.