Eisner's Successor? Place Alpha Bet on Iger
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) -- The perception is spreading that Walt Disney Co. chairman and CEO Michael Eisner considers company president Robert Iger his heir apparent. The latest indication comes in the form of an Eisner interview for the Dec. 9 issue of Forbes, in which he confirms writing a letter to the Disney board recommending a successor in case he gets run over by a truck or such. He wouldn't dish a name to Forbes, but the business magazine reports that Eisner "implies it is Bob Iger" and that "others in the know" confirm it was Iger's name that Eisner passed along as his successor in the event of an unexpected turnover. News wire and Internet stories based on the Forbes reporting circulated late Thursday. Disney spokeswoman Zenia Mucha declined comment. Eisner, 60, recently said he wouldn't disclose a succession plan publicly until much closer to any formal retirement announcement, as detailing such plans would make him a "lame duck" executive and hamper his ability to operate effectively. But a highly placed Disney insider suggested Eisner is interested in bolstering the public perception of 51-year-old Iger, whom the current chief views as key to efforts to surmount fiscal challenges at the Burbank-based firm.
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) -- The perception is spreading that Walt Disney Co. chairman and CEO Michael Eisner considers company president Robert Iger his heir apparent. The latest indication comes in the form of an Eisner interview for the Dec. 9 issue of Forbes, in which he confirms writing a letter to the Disney board recommending a successor in case he gets run over by a truck or such. He wouldn't dish a name to Forbes, but the business magazine reports that Eisner "implies it is Bob Iger" and that "others in the know" confirm it was Iger's name that Eisner passed along as his successor in the event of an unexpected turnover. News wire and Internet stories based on the Forbes reporting circulated late Thursday. Disney spokeswoman Zenia Mucha declined comment. Eisner, 60, recently said he wouldn't disclose a succession plan publicly until much closer to any formal retirement announcement, as detailing such plans would make him a "lame duck" executive and hamper his ability to operate effectively. But a highly placed Disney insider suggested Eisner is interested in bolstering the public perception of 51-year-old Iger, whom the current chief views as key to efforts to surmount fiscal challenges at the Burbank-based firm.