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Credit: D23Bob Iger had planned to retire from The Walt Disney Company on several different occasions, but it was not final until early 2020 when Iger suddenly announced he was stepping down and Bob Chapek took on the role of CEO of the Walt Disney Company.
So, what made Iger finally decide to retire from The Walt Disney Company? He finally admits the reasoning in a new interview with Variety.
Related: Bob Iger Talks “Life After Disney”
Bob Iger was talking about his retirement for quite some time, but it wasn’t until early 2020 when “he suddenly” stepped down from his role as CEO that had the Disney community questioning the real reason behind the decision. Well, thanks to a new interview with Variety, we now know exactly what lead to that decision.
Iger told Variety:
“Well, the same thing that drove my decision to retire the first time, which I failed at, and that is I happen to believe that change at the top has value for a company. It brings in new perspective, kind of a fresh pair of eyes and a new way of doing things and looking at things. Secondly, I wanted to leave of my own volition. I wanted to leave not only with my head held high but my body feeling pretty strong … so that if there were to be another chapter or another thing that I wanted to accomplish in life, I would have the vitality and energy to do so.”
So there you have it, Iger’s main reason to retiring for real this time was that he truly believes change is a good thing, especially at the top of a company. He felt retiring would allow for The Walt Disney Company to bring in a new perspective and a “fresh pair of eyes”.
Related: Does Bob Iger Still Want to Run For President? Releases New Statement
If you were not aware, Bob Chapek took on the role of CEO of the Walt Disney Company after Bob Iger stepped down in early 2020. Ever since Chapek became Disney CEO, there has been a ton of backlash from fans on how he is handling the role, including the creation of a petition asking Disney to fire him, which has gained over 84,000 signatures.
Chapek has been CEO during the ongoing pandemic and has made difficult decisions throughout this last year and a half, including the layoffs of thousands of Cast Members after the Parks shutdown and the launch of Disney Genie, including the new paid FastPass system, Lightning Lane.
Recent rumors suggested Iger may take back over the CEO role of The Walt Disney Company, however, that was put to rest when Iger admitted he has no plans to return and, instead, wants to start a “blank canvas.” Additionally, he admitted he does not want to commit to anything for at least six months after retirement. You can read more about this here.
Are you upset to see Bob Iger officially retire from The Walt Disney Company? Were you hoping he would make a comeback? Let us know in the comments below.