How Bob Iger’s Disney Changed the Entertainment Industry Forever — for Better and Worse
After the Disney CEO abruptly announced he’s stepping down from the role on Tuesday, ‘Fast Company’ explores Bob Iger’s impact on movies and TV
By Joe Berkowitz
And when Bob Iger saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds left to conquer.
Or so one imagines. Iger, after all, exhibited an Alexander-like appetite for empire building in the years that he led Disney. His announcement Tuesday that he will be stepping down as CEO came as a shock. After a 15-year buying spree in which Iger annexed Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox, the great man is taking a step toward retirement — nearly two years earlier than he’d previously suggested.
Picking up the mantle is Bob Chapek, who has been with Disney since 1993, most recently as chairman of parks, experiences, and products. Iger himself will stay on as a board member through December 2021, “spending as much time as possible on the creative side of our businesses.”
Iger’s departure marks the end of an era, a stunning period of growth in which Disney quadrupled its market cap by stockpiling the world’s best IP, fueling a…
