News The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors Extends Robert A. Iger’s Contract as CEO Through 2026

[Kamikaze]

The parks guy has zero say/power

There’s always resistance to this in fandom because they tend to be the “face”
Of a product and fans don’t want to believe it’s under the thumb of a soulless corporation.

But it is. If anything…Chapek is the archetype for it….he had zero savvy and self esteem…so the perfect instrument for a lot of the scorched earth policy of the last 10 years…not set by Chapek.

A useful idiot…textbook.

Every single thing done during his brief period was all planned long prior…he was just hammed handed and terrible with messaging. No argument there.

We can go through your valid list of complaints…and we will…I just gotta take a drive and see a guy about a
Thing now (large scale redevelopment for greenspace )

In a major corporation, everyone under the board only has the power they're allowed to wield by the CEO and Board. Which can be changed/taken/etc at any time. If the CEO (now or in the future) wanted 'the parks guy' to have 100% full ownership of the parks decisions, they could let them have it.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

In a major corporation, everyone under the board only has the power they're allowed to wield by the CEO and Board. Which can be changed/taken/etc at any time. If the CEO (now or in the future) wanted 'the parks guy' to have 100% full ownership of the parks decisions, they could let them have it.

But they don’t…so until there’s an example otherwise…it’s what we got to look at

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So what's your opinion on Steve Jobs' return to Apple?

Granted that they left under very different circumstances, but both returned to fix/save the company.

Funny you ask…

Steve Jobs was the “template” that Iger followed for the last 15 years.

For the students of history: Apple fired jobs and tossed him out unceremoniously…when he was brought back cause they were rocking a penny stock and desperate…he learned about “vulnerability”

He eliminated it. Never had anyone out of line again…especially his own board.

When Iger - a newbie beyond tv at the time - bought Pixar and jobs became the highest stockholder and de facto board head…Iger was both scared to death with him and in awe of him.

It was perfect for Bob…he’s not an idiot…he learned how to consolidate control in an “public” company by making sure he had total power.

Again…my criticism of him is not he’s stupid…many other things…but not that.

It was perfect and he nailed it. Eisner gone…Roy gone…and the new power broker was terminal. Couldn’t have a better set up. Then it was all misdirection and “polish” from there.

Until 2015 or so…the results are impressive…since? He’s a less creative Eisner…stayed too long…straying from the creative to the corporate. Different dude…same situation.

 

[jpeden]

You do realize that Iger did indeed retire once?

Stop this nonsense of "he'll never retire" when he already had retired. It's not in the realm of an impossibility.

He retired and then by all credible accounts from very legitimate stories in both the Hollywood Reporter and the WSJ engineered his successor’s removal from the company by going around Hollywood and saying how bad of a job he was doing and how he should have never picked him to succeed into the CEO position.

Now, I’m not saying that Iger was wrong - Chapek was an awful CEO but still to act like Iger didn’t engineer his return because he wished he hadn’t retired is flat out incorrect and we have the sources to confirm as such.

 

[jpeden]

That’s like putting the idiot son in law “In charge” of the family business…but not giving him the keys to the office or the wifi password

Don’t talk about Ron Miller like that. He tried but was too worried about making his Black Cauldron ride.

In all seriousness Storming the Magic Kingdom was an awesome read about how Ron Miller had no business taking over from Roy and the split between the Walt/Roy side of the family and how Eisner became CEO.

 

[MisterPenguin]

He retired and then by all credible accounts from very legitimate stories in both the Hollywood Reporter and the WSJ engineered his successor’s removal from the company by going around Hollywood and saying how bad of a job he was doing and how he should have never picked him to succeed into the CEO position.

Now, I’m not saying that Iger was wrong - Chapek was an awful CEO but still to act like Iger didn’t engineer his return because he wished he hadn’t retired is flat out incorrect and we have the sources to confirm as such.

The point was he left/retired (after sticking around for one year during the COVID crisis). But he left.

Which is the point against those who say "he'll never leave." But he did. Leaving is not an impossibility.

What he did to get back doesn't negate that he left.

And this time, the BoD are doing their due diligence and not letting Iger crown the next heir without proper vetting by the BoD.

 

[Comped]

Don’t talk about Ron Miller like that. He tried but was too worried about making his Black Cauldron ride.

In all seriousness Storming the Magic Kingdom was an awesome read about how Ron Miller had no business taking over from Roy and the split between the Walt/Roy side of the family and how Eisner became CEO.

I've never heard someone who had to deal with Ron Miller say anything good about him... Unlike literally every CEO the company's had besides Chapek.

 

[jpeden]

I've never heard someone who had to deal with Ron Miller say anything good about him... Unlike literally every CEO the company's had besides Chapek.

The book talks about how Ron really suffered from
imposter syndrome and how everyone knew he got the job because he was Walt’s son-in-law. Walt basically told him he should come work for him after watching him take a massive hit during a football game. He was also NOT a people person and let Ray Watson deal with a lot of the public side of the CEO job which didn’t help inspire confidence.

However he wasn’t wrong when it came to the Disney Channel and Touchstone, which were ideas that Card Walker was adamantly opposed to based on his principal of making every decision based on “What would Walt do?”

 

[Kamikaze]

Funny you ask…

Steve Jobs was the “template” that Iger followed for the last 15 years.

For the students of history: Apple fired jobs and tossed him out unceremoniously…when he was brought back cause they were rocking a penny stock and desperate…he learned about “vulnerability”

He eliminated it. Never had anyone out of line again…especially his own board.

When Iger - a newbie beyond tv at the time - bought Pixar and jobs became the highest stockholder and de facto board head…Iger was both scared to death with him and in awe of him.

It was perfect for Bob…he’s not an idiot…he learned how to consolidate control in an “public” company by making sure he had total power.

Again…my criticism of him is not he’s stupid…many other things…but not that.

It was perfect and he nailed it. Eisner gone…Roy gone…and the new power broker was terminal. Couldn’t have a better set up. Then it was all misdirection and “polish” from there.

Until 2015 or so…the results are impressive…since? He’s a less creative Eisner…stayed too long…straying from the creative to the corporate. Different dude…same situation.

You said a lot of words here, but you didn't really answer my question - whats your opinion on Jobs return to Apple?

 

[Dranth]

to act like Iger didn’t engineer his return because he wished he hadn’t retired is flat out incorrect and we have the sources to confirm as such.

How did he engineer his return?

 

[HauntedPirate]

And this time, the BoD are doing their due diligence and not letting Iger crown the next heir without proper vetting by the BoD.

Are you suggesting that the BoD did not vet Mr. Chapek before announcing him as CEO in 2020?

 

[Lilofan]

Are you saying Iger didn't manipulate Chapek into a fraught reorganization of studios and content creation so that Chapek would imperil the company and then be fired just so Iger could be asked back and undo everything he manipulated Chapek into doing?!?!

Chapek poorly negotiated his exit package of only $23M. Decades ago , Ovitz left with a $100M plus exit package.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Are you suggesting that the BoD did not vet Mr. Chapek before announcing him as CEO in 2020?

In a bunch of Chapek post-mortems, it was reported the BoD did not go thru the normal vetting procedures. It seemed it was partly trusting Iger who, remarkably, offered to mentor Chapek for a year (which turned out to be two years due to COVID) and partly being asleep at the wheel and not asserting their rights as Board Members.

Were they in awe of Iger? Cowed by him? <shrug>

However, the current ad hoc CEO-hunt committee of the BoD are going through all the procedures they're supposed to. They're interviewing people both within and outside the company. They've been meeting regularly. They've been reporting their progress in the quarterly reports. They've announced their deadline. There are no heirs-apparent.

 

[HauntedPirate]

In a bunch of Chapek post-mortems, it was reported the BoD did not go thru the normal vetting procedures. It seemed it was partly trusting Iger who, remarkably, offered to mentor Chapek for a year (which turned out to be two years due to COVID) and partly being asleep at the wheel and not asserting their rights as Board Members.

Were they in awe of Iger? Cowed by him? <shrug>

However, the current ad hoc CEO-hunt committee of the BoD are going through all the procedures they're supposed to. They're interviewing people both within and outside the company. They've been meeting regularly. They've been reporting their progress in the quarterly reports. They've announced their deadline. There are no heir-apparents.

Iger was always staying on for more than a year. They did consider internal and external candidates. The board did apparently vet Chapek (unless a unanimous vote means they just all randomly and unexpectedly decided to pick him over every other candidate). At least according to Disney's own press release back on February 25, 2020:

“With the successful launch of Disney’s direct-to-consumer businesses and the integration of Twenty-First Century Fox well underway, I believe this is the optimal time to transition to a new CEO,” Mr. Iger said. “I have the utmost confidence in Bob and look forward to working closely with him over the next 22 months as he assumes this new role and delves deeper into Disney’s multifaceted global businesses and operations, while I continue to focus on the Company’s creative endeavors.”

...

Susan Arnold, independent Lead Director of the Disney Board, said, “The Board has been actively engaged in succession planning for the past several years, and after consideration of internal and external candidates, we unanimously elected Bob Chapek as the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company. Mr. Chapek has shown outstanding leadership and a proven ability to deliver strong results across a wide array of businesses, and his tremendous understanding of the breadth and depth of the Company and appreciation for the special connection between Disney and its consumers makes him the perfect choice as the next CEO.”

But now... Iger is again CEO. The Board again is "going through all the procedures they're supposed to". Some would argue the current board members are even more "in the back pocket" of Iger than they were 5+ years ago, but also some wouldn't. But if they simply "trusted Iger" and "didn't assert their rights as Board Members" with Chapek, what about the Board now gives you confidence they'll do a better job this time?

(ETA: The Succession Planning Committee was formed in early 2023. The next CEO is purportedly to be announced in "early 2026". Let's wait to hear if they have an update at the next quarterly meeting.)

After all, Iger only fooled Roy and Stanley and the then-BoD and eventually embraced Roy's comment about the company becoming "rapacious, soul-less, and always looking for the “quick buck” rather than long-term value" (from his 2003 resignation letter) after he became CEO. Chapek only fooled Iger and the BoD by veering away from Iger's "commitment to creative excellence, technological innovation and international expansion" once he was CEO. But I'm sure they'll get it right with the next CEO...

 

[MisterPenguin]

Iger was always staying on for more than a year. They did consider internal and external candidates. The board did apparently vet Chapek (unless a unanimous vote means they just all randomly and unexpectedly decided to pick him over every other candidate). At least according to Disney's own press release back on February 25, 2020:



But now... Iger is again CEO. The Board again is "going through all the procedures they're supposed to". Some would argue the current board members are even more "in the back pocket" of Iger than they were 5+ years ago, but also some wouldn't. But if they simply "trusted Iger" and "didn't assert their rights as Board Members" with Chapek, what about the Board now gives you confidence they'll do a better job this time?

(ETA: The Succession Planning Committee was formed in early 2023. The next CEO is purportedly to be announced in "early 2026". Let's wait to hear if they have an update at the next quarterly meeting.)

After all, Iger only fooled Roy and Stanley and the then-BoD and eventually embraced Roy's comment about the company becoming "rapacious, soul-less, and always looking for the “quick buck” rather than long-term value" (from his 2003 resignation letter) after he became CEO. Chapek only fooled Iger and the BoD by veering away from Iger's "commitment to creative excellence, technological innovation and international expansion" once he was CEO. But I'm sure they'll get it right with the next CEO...

The BoD didn't do this last time...

This thread: Iger will never retire, the Board of Directors are doing nothing!!!

TWDC Sec filing a few days ago...

View attachment 849142

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

He retired and then by all credible accounts from very legitimate stories in both the Hollywood Reporter and the WSJ engineered his successor’s removal from the company by going around Hollywood and saying how bad of a job he was doing and how he should have never picked him to succeed into the CEO position.

Now, I’m not saying that Iger was wrong - Chapek was an awful CEO but still to act like Iger didn’t engineer his return because he wished he hadn’t retired is flat out incorrect and we have the sources to confirm as such.

I think both things are 100% true

Which means it’s a failure of leadership on Multiple fronts BY HIM and he should not have been rehired/brought back.

Only an oligarch stays in power with those kinds of huge mistakes

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I know there is zero chance a PowerPoint slide of SEC “guidance” has been put up as definitive proof and truth serum regarding Disneys management?

The world can’t be this way? (that’s rhetorical…it is not)

 

[monothingie]

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/05/disneys-espn-to-acquire-nfl-media-assets-in-major-deal.html

Well we know what they're going to talk about (or distract from) tomorrow morning.

 

[HMF]

Only an oligarch stays in power with those kinds of huge mistakes

Isn't that basically what we are now? Not to get into politics but I do think the age of the CEO with Igers' clout is basically ending.

 

[Comped]

He can also distract from the fact that TripAdvisor just rated Fun Spot's Kissimee location as being a better park than Epcot or Animal Kingdom for that matter. Or even Disneyland. No, I am not joking.