By Mallory Mattingly
A new CEO for Disney will take over from current CEO Bob Iger sometime next year.
According to Variety, in October 2024, Iger announced his plan to step down from the leadership position in 2026.
“Because of the company’s place in the world, I think the person running the company has a special responsibility of sorts, to maintain Disney’s position in the world as a beloved company, as an admired company, as a company that entertains really the world, everyone of all ages and from all different walks of life,” Iger told “The Rest Is History” podcast hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook of what make the Disney CEO role unique.
Iger was first named CEO of the company in 2005 before stepping down in 2021. He returned only 11 months later to replace his successor Bob Chapek.
Related: Bob Iger Admits Disney Stumbled in Recent Years: ‘Lost Some Focus’
Iger hopes his legacy is one of “someone who was given the keys to this kingdom…and that I brought it to a place that even Walt would be proud of.”
“And what that means is more great storytelling to a larger audience, more innovation, more risk-taking, more really creation of happiness. It’s really that simple,” he described. “At one point, I thought, ‘Well, OK, you’re now running Disney. What’s the most you want out of it?’ Well, don’t screw it up, but it’s much more than that. I really have been mindful of the duty that I feel has been handed to me to make it even better than it’s ever been.”
Disney has not confirmed a replacement, but Inside the Magic pointed to a few possible contenders for Iger’s role:
-
Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences
-
Dana Walden, Co-Chair of Disney Entertainment
-
Alan Bergman, Walden’s counterpart
-
Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN
Iger wants his successor to protect the brand Walt Disney created while also leaning into new innovations that keep moving the company forward.
“The world is changing so rapidly and in such profound ways. As I think about the future, I would hope that my successors would be respectful of our past and well aware of the values that really created the value of the company in the first place and carry them forward, but not let anything that’s been done in the past get in the way of bringing the company into the future,” he emphasized.
“And that’s really constant innovation, a constant exploration, a constant desire to reinvent or to invent even more than anything else. That’s what I’d want,” he said. “But I think we do occupy a place in the world as great storytellers, perhaps maybe the greatest in many respects. And I would hope that position would continue for years and years, decades ahead.”
While time will tell who will replace Iger, hopefully the new CEO will look back to what truly made Disney successful: uplifting, family-friendly content.
Read Next: Bob Iger Expected to Address Disney’s Future in Upcoming Town Hall
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +2Share:
– Content: +2