News Bob Iger Steps Down - Bob Chapek CEO

Supreme Leader

Supreme Leader

Well-Known Member
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brb1006

brb1006

Well-Known Member
"Above all the acquisitions of content, and above all the advancements in technology, Bob Iger staked his personal legacy on opening an ambitious new Magic Kingdom in Shanghai, China. In his eyes, the company's future depended on it."

This quote from The Imagineering Story, and I hasn't aged well...
 
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DanielBB8

Well-Known Member
"The Walt Disney Co. has named Bob Chapek CEO, replacing Bob Iger, effective immediately."
"Chapek was head of the parks, experiences and products division since it was created in 2018. Before that he was chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts since 2015. Before that, he was president of the Disney Consumer Products segment from 2011 to 2015."

This means Chapek no longer runs the parks. He was promoted up. Iger is still around as Chairman until Dec. 31, 2021. Almost 2 years influencing Chapek.
 
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TsWade2

Well-Known Member
Alright. I know everybody is scared and upset of this news right now, but I don't want to go upset or obsessed about it. So, before I decide whether he be a good CEO of Disney or not, I want to give him a chance and I want to hear what he wants to do with the whole company. I just want to be open minded. Why aren't you guys?
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
brb1006 said:
Can't wait to hear your long thoughts on this in the coming days.
Click to expand...

Oh, I already just spent 10 minutes on the phone with someone who would have some good intel and I jotted a few ideas and names down as we talked, while I DVR'ed that CNBC interview. 🤣

The big question for us this afternoon is who will lead the Parks division? There are two clear options that are being thrown around, plus the wild card that Mr. Chapek will bring in someone totally new to take over his old job as Parks chairman.

But the two most obvious options this afternoon were explained to me as;

1. Michael Colglazier, who was promoted a couple years ago from Disneyland President to President of the Asian parks, mostly Shanghai and Hong Kong with a dotted line to Tokyo via the OLC structure. This is the most obvious choice from a organizational structure perspective, as Mr. Colglazier technically outranks the other site Presidents in Anaheim, Orlando and Paris. Mr. Colglazier has obviously been very busy trying to manage the complete collapse and hibernation of Disney's theme park business in China for the past month, but at least from an Org Chart perspective he's the second in command behind Mr. Chapek. The downside here is that Mr. Colglazier was not warmly thought of in Anaheim and is seen as rather snobby, wonky, and just a little weird to interact with. He also has a habit of snapping at underlings who don't pander to him. He wasn't missed when he departed Anaheim for a Burbank office overseeing China. Also, his wife is extremely boring to interact with.

2. Josh Damaro, the man who replaced Mr. Colglazier and was universally beloved by Anaheim CM's. Josh was sort of the anti-Colglazier in that he was personable, approachable, and doesn't have a snobby bone in his body. He genuinely seemed to care for the CM's and wanted to make their work experience better, and he had a good handle on how to manage up to Mr. Chapek and carve out as much resources as he could for Anaheim from his bosses in Burbank. He also was quick to defer to the experts in the field, which was a noticeable change from Mr. Colglazier who liked to pretend he was the smartest guy in the room on almost all topics. Of course, Mr. Damaro was so good that only 18 months after he arrived in Anaheim he was given a promotion by being sent back out to Florida to oversee WDW. Josh Damaro also won huge points in Burbank for smoothing over the damaged political relationship with Anaheim that Mr. Colglazier left behind, although in hindsight Mr. Colglazier is now seen by Burbank as the real culprit for that mess which elevates Mr. Damaro further. However, on the Org Chart he's still a step behind Mr. Colglazier, so it would be a massive promotion for Mr. Damaro and probably really upset Mr. Colglazier if he gets the Chairman gig, but the real people who keep Disney's theme parks running are rooting for Mr. Damaro by a landslide. And finally, his wife is an absolute doll who is fun to chat with.

3. Someone we don't know. Mr. Chapek has shown a willingness in the past to bring in random executives with no experience in the hospitality or theme park industries to take over theme parks. He did this with Ms. Christie Fleischer a few years ago, although that ended quickly as she jumped ship and left Disney entirely because theme parks weren't her gig. And he did it with Ms. Rebecca Campbell as the new Disneyland President, who is from the TV media biz and had no theme park or hospitality experience. But Mr. Chapek could be willing to bring in a senior executive from his vast network of contacts in the retail industry, either within Disney or outside of it. That could get really ugly really fast if that happens.

So, that's what I got out of a phone call just a bit ago. I'm sure we'll get some more info and insight as the days progress.
 
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