Bob Iger
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Robert Alan Iger, born February 10th, 1951, is an American media executive, currently serving as the chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company. His career began with a significant tenure at the American Broadcasting Company, where he rose through the ranks, becoming president in 1994 and then president and chief operating officer of its parent company, Capital Cities/ABC, until its acquisition by Disney in 1996.
Iger's journey at Disney saw him named president in 2000, and he succeeded Michael Eisner as CEO in 2005, a role he held until his contract expired in 2020. He then transitioned to executive chairman, formally retiring on December 31st, 2021. However, at the urgent request of Disney's board, Iger made a remarkable return as CEO on November 20th, 2022, stepping in after the dismissal of his successor, Bob Chapek. In July of 2023, Disney reaffirmed its confidence by renewing his contract through 2026.
Widely recognized as a highly effective and visionary leader, Iger is credited with profoundly expanding Disney's intellectual property portfolio and its global reach. Under his initial 15-year leadership, the company's market capitalization surged from 56 billion to an astounding 231 billion dollars. He spearheaded monumental acquisitions, including Pixar in 2006, Marvel Entertainment in 2009, Lucasfilm in 2012, and the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox in 2019. Iger also championed the growth of Disney's theme park presence in East Asia, ushering in Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort. Furthermore, he was instrumental in revitalizing Walt Disney Animation Studios, refining its film studio's release strategy, and significantly increasing investment in direct-to-consumer platforms like Disney+ and Hulu.
Born into an Austrian-Jewish family in New York City, Robert Alan Iger is the eldest son of Miriam and Arthur L. Iger. His father, a World War II Navy veteran, also held positions as an executive vice president and general manager, and was a professor of advertising and public relations, while his mother worked at Boardman Junior High School. Iger's paternal grandfather was the brother of cartoonist Jerry Iger. Raised in Oceanside, New York, he attended Fulton Avenue School and graduated from Oceanside High School in 1969. In 1973, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree, graduating magna cum laude from the School of Communications at Ithaca College.
Iger's media career began in 1972 as the host of "Campus Probe," a television show at Ithaca College. He initially harbored dreams of becoming a news anchor, even working as a weatherman in Ithaca for five months before pivoting his career aspirations.
In 1974, Iger joined the American Broadcasting Company, or ABC, starting with menial labor on television sets for a modest weekly wage. A pivotal moment came in 1988 when he served as the senior program executive for the Calgary Winter Olympics. Despite challenging weather conditions and delayed events, Iger's team successfully filled the broadcast schedule with compelling human interest stories, including those of the Jamaican bobsled team and Eddie the Eagle. This event achieved record-high ratings for ABC, and Iger's adept handling of pressure caught the attention of ABC executives Daniel Burke and Thomas Murphy, who became strong advocates for his advancement within the company.
By 1989, he was appointed head of ABC Entertainment, greenlighting influential shows like "Twin Peaks," "America's Funniest Home Videos," and "Cop Rock." He then led the ABC Network Television Group from January 1993 to 1994, holding senior vice president and executive vice president titles before being named president and chief operating officer of Capital Cities/ABC in 1994.
When The Walt Disney Company acquired Capital Cities/ABC in 1995, renaming it ABC, Inc., Iger remained chairman until 1999. In February 1999, he was promoted to president of Walt Disney International, overseeing the company's global operations, while also retaining his chairmanship of the ABC Group, though his day-to-day authority at ABC was reduced. Disney characterized this move as a promotion.
On January 24th, 2000, Iger was named president and chief operating officer of Disney, becoming the second-highest executive under chairman and CEO Michael Eisner. Disney had been without a separate president since Michael Ovitz's departure in 1997.
A significant shift occurred in 2003 when board members Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold launched a campaign, "Save Disney," against Eisner. This led to a search for Eisner's successor. On March 13th, 2005, Disney announced Iger would become the next CEO, taking charge of daily operations, with Eisner officially stepping down as CEO on September 30th, 2005. In July of that year, Disney and Gold ended their campaign, agreeing to collaborate with Iger.
One of Iger's immediate strategic moves as CEO was to reassign Disney's chief strategic officer and disband the Strategic Planning division. Around this time, he also began to be commonly known as "Bob" rather than "Robert."
On January 24th, 2006, under Iger's direction, Disney announced its acquisition of Pixar for 7.4 billion dollars in an all-stock transaction. In the same year, Iger also successfully reacquired the rights to Walt Disney's first star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, from NBCUniversal, by facilitating the move of sportscaster Al Michaels from ABC Sports to NBC Sports.
In August 2009, Iger negotiated Disney's acquisition of Marvel Entertainment and its assets for 4 billion dollars. By 2014, Marvel movies had already grossed more than this amount at the box office. On October 7th, 2011, Disney announced that Iger would also assume the role of chairman of the board, following John Pepper's retirement in March 2012.
October 2012 marked another significant deal, as Iger signed an agreement to purchase Lucasfilm from filmmaker George Lucas for 4 billion dollars, thereby acquiring the rights to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. In March 2016, Iger announced the upcoming opening of the 5.5 billion dollar Shanghai Disney Resort.
Iger's tenure as Disney's chairman and CEO was initially set to conclude on June 30th, 2018. However, in March 2017, his term was extended to July 2nd, 2019, with a subsequent three-year consultancy period. In December 2017, his contract was further extended through 2021.
In July 2018, Disney and 21st Century Fox shareholders approved a deal for Disney to acquire Fox's assets, a transaction finalized in March 2019.
By April 2019, it was announced that Iger would step down as CEO and chairman upon the expiration of his contract in 2021. He resigned from Apple's board of directors on September 10th, 2019, to avoid potential conflicts of interest as Disney and Apple prepared to launch competing streaming services, Disney+ and Apple TV+.
In September 2019, Iger released his memoir, "The Ride of a Lifetime."
In 2020, Iger announced his intention to retire. On February 25th of that year, the board appointed Bob Chapek, then-chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, as the new chief executive, with Iger taking on the ad hoc role of executive chairman to oversee the transition. However, in April, the board extended Iger's mandate through the end of 2021, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 31st, 2021, Iger stepped down, succeeded by Susan Arnold as chair of the board. Yet, on November 20th, 2022, Chapek was removed by the Disney board, and Iger was reinstated as CEO. Initially agreeing to a two-year term to find a successor, Iger and Disney extended his contract on July 12th, 2023, through the end of 2026.
Iger's 2023 compensation package included a base salary of $865,385, stock awards totaling $16.1 million, $10 million in stock options, $2.1 million in performance-based compensation, and $2.48 million in other compensation, resulting in a total award of $31.6 million. Despite streaming profitability and strong theme park performance during his second tenure, Disney's share price has remained significantly below its 2021 peak under Chapek, with a 22% increase compared to the S&P 500's 68% rise.
During Iger's leadership, Disney-owned ABC indefinitely suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" following pressure from the Donald Trump administration and right-wing media to address criticism from Jimmy Kimmel, a Trump critic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Iger made the decision to suspend the show jointly with Dana Walden.
Beyond his primary role, Iger has served on various company boards and engaged in other activities. On November 15th, 2011, Apple Inc. appointed him to its board of directors. He was reportedly instrumental in making Steve Jobs Disney's largest shareholder following the acquisition of Jobs' Pixar. He resigned from Apple's board in September 2019 due to potential conflicts arising from the upcoming launches of Disney+ and Apple TV+. In October 2020, he joined the board of the dairy-replacement startup Perfect Day, and in March 2022, he became a director at Genies, Inc. In July 2024, Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, agreed to a majority stake in Angel City FC, a Los Angeles-based National Women's Soccer League team, with a $100 million investment. To avoid conflicts, Iger pledged to recuse himself from all Disney and ESPN business matters related to women's soccer.
Iger has been married twice. His first marriage to Kathleen Susan Iger ended in divorce, and they have two daughters. In 1995, he married journalist Willow Bay in an interfaith ceremony. Forbes estimates Iger's net worth to be over $700 million as of 2024.
Politically, Iger describes himself as a centrist, having previously identified with the Democratic Party before switching to independent in 2016. In May 2016, amidst a dispute over low wages at Disney Resorts, he posted on Facebook, countering claims made by Senator Bernie Sanders. Disney later settled with the Department of Labor and agreed to pay back wages. Iger co-chaired a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016 and was named to President-elect Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum, but resigned in June 2017 in protest of the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. He had considered running for president before and after the 2016 election but ultimately decided against it.
Iger has received numerous accolades and recognition. In December 2019, Time magazine named him their Businessperson of the Year. In 2020, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. In September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II appointed him an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to UK-US relations. In October 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron awarded him the title of Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur for his service to France.
However, Iger's career has also seen its share of controversies. In November 2017, Variety reported that Iger was aware of an incident at a 2010 Oscar party involving Pixar chief John Lasseter and a junior staffer, suggesting leadership was aware of Lasseter's inappropriate behavior. In August 2019, Vanity Fair reported that actress Paz de la Huerta added Iger to a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, alleging that he and former CEO Michael Eisner made decisions that enabled Weinstein's misconduct. Disney denied knowledge of any misconduct or settlements during Weinstein's tenure at Miramax. More recently, in a July 2023 interview on CNBC, Iger criticized the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes as "not realistic" and disruptive, drawing widespread criticism for comments perceived as elitist and out of touch, especially given his substantial salary.
Iger is also the author of "The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company," published in September 2019.
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Robert Alan Iger (; born February 10, 1951) is an American media executive who is chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company. He previously was the president of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) between 1994 and 1995 and president and chief operating officer (COO) of Capital Cities/ABC, from 1995 until its acquisition by Disney in 1996. Iger was named president of Disney in 2000 and succeeded Michael Eisner as CEO in 2005, until his contract expired in 2020. He then was executive chairman until his formal retirement from the company on December 31, 2021. At the request of Disney's board of directors, Iger returned to Disney as CEO on November 20, 2022, following the dismissal of his appointed successor, Bob Chapek. In July 2023, Disney renewed Iger's contract until 2026.
Considered a highly effective and visionary media executive, Iger was able to broaden Disney's roster of intellectual properties, expanded its presence in international markets, and oversaw an increase of the company's market capitalization from $56 billion to $231 billion during his initial 15-year stewardship of the company. He led the major acquisitions of Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion, Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $4 billion, Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.06 billion, and the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox in 2019 for $71.3 billion. Iger also expanded the company's theme park resorts presence in East Asia, with the introduction of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort in 2005 and 2016, respectively. He was a driving force behind the reinvigoration of Walt Disney Animation Studios, the branded-release strategy of its film studio's output, and the company's increased investment in its direct-to-consumer businesses, including Disney+ and Hulu.
== Early life ==
Robert Alan Iger was born to an Austrian-Jewish family in New York City. He is the oldest son of Miriam "Mimi" (née Tunick) (1927–2013) and Arthur L. Iger (1926–2010). His father was a World War II Navy veteran who was the executive vice president and general manager of the Greenvale Marketing Corporation, and was also a professor of advertising and public relations. His mother worked at Boardman Junior High School in Oceanside, New York. Iger's paternal grandfather, Joe, was cartoonist Jerry Iger's brother.
He was raised in Oceanside, where he attended the Fulton Avenue School and graduated from Oceanside High School in 1969. In 1973, he graduated magna cum laude from the School of Communications at Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Television and Radio.
== Career ==
Iger began his media career in 1972 as the host of Campus Probe, an Ithaca College television show. He dreamed of becoming a news anchor while he worked as a weatherman in Ithaca for five months, before shifting his career goals.
=== American Broadcasting Company (ABC) ===
In 1974, Iger joined the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). His first job was performing menial labor on television sets for $150 a week (over $700, adjusted for inflation).
In 1988, Iger was the senior program executive for the Calgary Winter Olympics. The event was marred by disruptive weather and delayed events, and to fill the broadcast schedule Iger's team focused on human interest stories such as those of the Jamaican bobsled team and Eddie the Eagle. The event achieved record-high ratings for ABC, and Iger's performance under pressure caught the attention of ABC executives Daniel Burke and Thomas Murphy, who subsequently championed Iger throughout his ascent at ABC.
In 1989, he was named head of ABC Entertainment, green lighting shows such as Twin Peaks, America's Funniest Home Videos and Cop Rock. He was president of the ABC Network Television Group from January 1993 to 1994, and was appointed as Capital Cities/ABC senior vice president in March 1993 and executive vice president in July 1993. In 1994, Iger was named president and chief operating officer of ABC's corporate parent, Capital Cities/ABC.
=== The Walt Disney Company ===
In 1995, the Walt Disney Company purchased Capital Cities/ABC and renamed it ABC, Inc., where Iger remained chairman until 1999.
On February 25, 1999, Disney named Iger the president of Walt Disney International, the business unit that oversees Disney's international operations, as well as chairman of the ABC Group, removing him from day-to-day authority at ABC. Disney called the change a promotion for Iger.
Disney named Iger the president and chief operating officer (COO) on January 24, 2000, making him Disney's No. 2 executive under chairman and CEO, Michael Eisner. Disney had been without a separate president since Eisner assumed the role following the departure of Michael Ovitz in 1997, after sixteen months at Disney.
In 2003, board members Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold began a campaign called "save Disney" against Eisner. As a result, Disney began a search for the next CEO to replace Eisner. On March 13, 2005, Disney announced that Iger would succeed Michael Eisner as CEO, and Iger was placed in charge of day-to-day operations, though Eisner held the title of CEO until he resigned on September 30, 2005. In July 2005, Disney and Gold dropped the campaign and agreed to work with Iger.
One of Iger's first major decisions as CEO was to reassign Disney's chief strategic officer, Peter Murphy, and disband the company's Strategic Planning division. It was around this time Iger started to become known as "Bob" rather than "Robert".
On January 24, 2006, under Iger's leadership, Disney announced it would acquire Pixar for $7.4 billion in an all-stock transaction. In the same year, Iger also re-acquired the rights to Walt Disney's first star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, from NBCUniversal by releasing sportscaster Al Michaels from ABC Sports to NBC Sports.
In August 2009, Iger negotiated for Disney to acquire Marvel Entertainment and its associated assets for $4 billion. By 2014, Disney had grossed more than that amount at the box office through the Marvel movies. On October 7, 2011, Disney announced that Iger would become chairman of the board, following John Pepper's retirement from the board in March 2012.
In October 2012, Iger signed a deal with filmmaker George Lucas to purchase Lucasfilm for $4 billion. As a result, Disney acquired the rights to the Star Wars multimedia franchise and Indiana Jones. In March 2016, Iger announced the opening of the $5.5 billion Shanghai Disney Resort later that year.
Iger's contract as Disney's chairman and CEO was originally planned to run until June 30, 2018. In March 2017, Disney extended Iger's term to July 2, 2019, and said he would be a consultant for the following three years. In December 2017, Disney extended Iger's contract through 2021.
In July 2018 Disney and 21st Century Fox shareholders approved a deal to allow Disney to purchase Fox assets. The deal was finalized in March 2019.
In April 2019, it was announced that Iger would depart from his position as CEO and chairman of Disney when his contract expired in 2021. Iger resigned from Apple's board of directors on September 10, 2019, in order to avoid a conflict of interest as Disney and Apple prepared to launch competing streaming services Disney+ and Apple TV+.
In September 2019, Iger released his memoir The Ride of a Lifetime.
In 2020, Iger announced his intention to retire. On February 25 that year, the board of directors named Bob Chapek – then-chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products – the new chief executive, while appointing Iger executive chairman (an ad hoc post) to oversee the transition. In April however, the board unexpectedly extended Iger's mandate until the end of 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 31, 2021, Iger stepped down and was succeeded by Susan Arnold as chair of the board. However, on November 20, 2022, Chapek was ousted by the Disney board with Iger reinstated as CEO. At the time of his rejoining Disney, Iger initially agreed to hold the post for two years while looking for a successor. However, on July 12, 2023, Iger and Disney extended the contract until the end of 2026.
Iger's 2023 pay package included a base salary of $865,385, stock awards of $16.1 million, $10 million in stock option awards, $2.1 million in performance-based compensation and $2.48 million in other compensation, leading to a total pay award of $31.6 million, according to Disney's annual proxy statement. During Iger's second tenure, Disney's share price has remained substantially below record heights in 2021 under Chapek, despite streaming becoming profitable and strong theme park performance. Disney's share price has increased just 22% under Iger's second tenure versus 68% for the S&P 500
Iger was head of Disney when Disney-owned ABC indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live!, following pressure by the Donald Trump administration and rightwing media to punish Jimmy Kimmel, a Trump critic. According to Hollywood Reporter, Iger made the decision to suspend Kimmel jointly with Dana Walden.
=== Company boards and other activities ===
On November 15, 2011, Apple Inc., led by CEO Tim Cook, named Iger to its board of directors. Iger was reportedly responsible for making Steve Jobs Disney's largest shareholder after its all-stock acquisition of Jobs' Pixar. In September 2019, Iger resigned from his position on the board after Apple announced the pricing and release date of Apple TV+, a subscription streaming service which would compete with Disney+ upon its launch in November 2021.
In October 2020, he became a director of the dairy-replacement startup Perfect Day.
Iger joined the board of Genies, Inc. in March 2022.
In July 2024, Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, agreed to take a majority stake in Angel City FC, a Los Angeles-based National Women's Soccer League team, with a $100 million investment. To avoid any conflicts of interest, Iger agreed to recuse himself from all Disney and ESPN business matters related to the women's soccer league.
== Personal life ==
Iger has been married twice. His first marriage to Kathleen Susan Iger ended in divorce. They have two daughters. In 1995, Iger married journalist Willow Bay in an interfaith Jewish and Roman Catholic service in Bridgehampton, New York.
According to Forbes, Iger's estimated net worth is over $700 million in 2024.
=== Politics ===
Iger has described himself as a political centrist. He previously identified with the Democratic Party. In 2016, Iger switched his party registration from Democratic to independent.
In May 2016, during a dispute over Disney Resort's low wages, Iger wrote in a Facebook post claiming that Disney had hired 11,000 new employees in the past decade at Disneyland, and 18,000 in the past 5 years in the US. Iger specifically targeted US Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders, who had been outspoken on the issue. Disney settled with the Department of Labor and agreed to pay back wages the following year.
Iger co-chaired a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on August 22, 2016. He was named to President-elect Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum on December 2, 2016. He resigned from the Forum on June 1, 2017, out of protest after President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Iger had considered running for president before and after the 2016 election as a Democrat, but ultimately decided against it.
== Accolades and recognition ==
In December 2019, Iger was named by Time as their Businessperson of the Year. In 2020, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
In September 2022, Iger was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II "for services to the UK/US relations".
In October 2024, Iger was awarded with the title of Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur by French president, Emmanuel Macron for his service to the country of France.
== Controversies ==
In November 2017, Variety reported that Iger knew about a 2010 Oscar party where Pixar chief John Lasseter was seen "making out with a junior staffer", seeming to confirm anonymous allegations that Lasseter's inappropriate interactions with young women had been known to company leadership since the 1990s. One anonymous source was quoted as saying, "I know personally that Bob was aware. ... Everybody was aware. They just didn't do anything about it."
In August 2019, Vanity Fair reported that actress Paz de la Huerta added Iger to her lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein over allegations of rape, claiming that he and previous CEO Michael Eisner "made a series of decisions that allowed a range of actions by Harvey Weinstein that unacceptably harmed certain employees". Disney denied any knowledge of misconduct or settlements with victims during Weinstein's run at Miramax from 1993 to 2005.
During a July 2023 interview on CNBC, Iger criticized the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes as "not realistic". He added that the unions "are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive." Iger's comments were widely criticized both inside and outside of Hollywood for being elitist and out of touch, with The Huffington Post writer Marina Fang noting Iger's $27 million annual salary that he received when rejoining Disney.
== Works ==
Iger, Robert (September 23, 2019). The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Penguin Random House. ISBN 9780399592096. OCLC 1111242203.
== References ==
== External links ==
Corporate biography
Bob Iger at IMDb
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