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Disney CEO Bob Chapek was fired, and Bob Iger returned to Disney as the CEO, nearly three years after stepping down and in light of these events, people are wondering the previous Disney CEO history as well. He returns to a very different company than the one he left after missing the onset of the pandemic, and he is expected to select another successor.
Bob Iger returns to Disney
In an unexpected change of events, Disney CEO Bob Chapek was fired, and Bob Iger is replacing his own successor. Iger, the company’s largest shareholder, will now serve a fresh two-year term as CEO. Iger’s duties during those two years will include selecting and grooming his long-term successor.
Of course, Chapek was an Iger pick as well. Chapek was dubbed “Tim Cook to Iger’s Steve Jobs,” but their transfer was rough during his term, with blowups like the Scarlett Johansson Black Widow case and Disney’s initial lack of reaction to Florida’s “anti-child-grooming” bill (yes, you heard that right. Disney opposed anti-child-grooming) scuffing its all-important brand. The bill, now a law thanks to Mr. DeSantis, in question prevented public schools from teaching sexual preferences to 9 and younger children.
Why was Disney CEO Bob Chapek fired?
We can’t pinpoint the exact reason. Their stock price got lower, maybe it was high because of the pandemic and it readjusted? Or maybe they financially backed (bribing/corruption which is called “lobbying” in the US) the politicians who wanted the anti-child-grooming bill to pass? People who wanted 9 year old children to learn about different sexual preferences wanted Disney to stop funding said politicians and then started boycotting it?
After Disney started opposing the anti-child-grooming bill maybe people who are not very keen on pedophilia started boycotting them? Two sides kept Disney in the cross-fire of boycotting? Their ESG scores got lower because they didn’t bend the knee to the Big-Gay? Maybe people founding about an entertainment company acting like a global intelligence agency was off-putting? No one knows…
Bob Chapek is in the unenviable position of attempting to transform Disney from a legacy company of yesterday into a company of tomorrow. This entails acting more like a technology corporation than a typical media and entertainment company. He arguably runs it in the manner of some tech companies in that he separates content production and distribution. “This is how it’s going to work; we’re focusing on streaming, the Metaverse, and how to get into these different positions,” he says.
All of these problems occur at the same time. So it appears like Bob Chapek is losing control of the kingdom, whereas Bob Iger held it. But what I believe gets forgotten in all of this is that Bob Chapek has been CEO for just over two years, and his first assignment was to take the firm out of the epidemic and focus on how just to survive it. He is now responsible for carrying the firm very publicly in a way that creates support from shareholders, customers, and workers. That’s easier said than done, especially for someone new to the job.
While Iger initially pushed Disney into the streaming battles, Chapek’s restructuring upset eyebrows by putting Kareem Daniel, a non-streaming executive, in charge of everything streaming and studio budgets, and increasing the emphasis on streaming.
The leadership transition comes roughly two weeks after Disney released its Q4 2022 earnings, which revealed that both its parks and media operations failed to meet analyst expectations. Its streaming business has expanded, with a greater number of customers choosing for a package offering that combines Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus, but streaming fees are also rising. On December 8th, an ad-supported Disney Plus streaming service will be launched, and layoffs are rumored.
“We thank Bob Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic,” said Disney board chair Susan Arnold in a statement. The Board of Directors has determined that, as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely positioned to lead the Company through this critical period.”
Disney CEO history
Presidents
- 1923–1966: Walt Disney
- 1966–1971: Roy O. Disney
- 1968–1972: Donn Tatum
- 1971–1977: E. Cardon Walker
- 1980–1984: Ron W. Miller
- 1984–1994: Frank Wells
- 1995–1997: Michael Ovitz
- 1998–2020 Michael Eisner
- 2000–2016: Robert Iger
Chief Executive Officers
- 1929–1971: Roy O. Disney
- 1971–1976: Donn Tatum
- 1976–1983: E. Cardon Walker
- 1983–1984: Ron W. Miller
- 1984–2005: Michael Eisner
- 2005–2020: Robert Iger
We hope you liked our Disney CEO Bob Chapek fired article. If you did, here’s our how to watch Disney Plus on iPhone, Android and Laptop guide. However, you can also learn how to delete your Disney account, if your stomach isn’t feeling well.
