After an incredible 47 and a half years at ABC and Disney – starting with a labouring job at ABC in 1974 and ending with him as president/COO of Capital Cities/ABC from 1995 until its acquisition by Disney in 1996 and a storied stint as CEO of Disney from 2005 to 2020 – Bob Iger finally retires from the House of Mouse. His tenure saw incredible advancements for the company as it expanded beyond its familiar realms of parks, cinema and television into a brave new world of online and streaming entertainment.
During his 15-year tenure as CEO, Iger broadened Disney’s roster of intellectual properties and its presence in international markets. He oversaw the 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 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 on its direct-to-consumer businesses, including Disney+ and Hulu.
Under Iger’s leadership, Disney’s market capitalization increased from $48 billion to $257 billion.
This is the end of my 47 1/2 yr ABC @Disney journey and it was “the ride of a lifetime.” Enormous thanks to my colleagues & fellow cast members & special thanks to my wife Willow & my 4 children: Katie, Amanda, Max & Will. I couldn’t have done this without your love & support. pic.twitter.com/n74x4FLqx0
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) December 31, 2021
Members of Fantha Tracks have been fortunate enough to have met Bob on a handful of occasions at events and premieres over the years, and while it was always just a quick handshake and a ‘hello’, it was always very much appreciated.
Without doubt, Iger leaves Disney far richer in every sense than when he found it, so here’s to a fruitful 2022 and an exciting future for Bob and his family.
- Hardcover Book
- Mann, George (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 192 Pages - 09/07/2021 (Publication Date) - Random House/Star Wars (Publisher)
