Credit: DisneyIf you have visited the Disney Parks and Resorts in the last few years or been a part of the Disney community in general; lately, you will surely know the name Bob Chapek.
Chapek serves as the Walt Disney Company’s current CEO, whether you love him or hate him. But Chapek had big shoes to fill following the former CEO, Bob Iger, in 2020.
The exchange of power between Iger and Chapek was swift and came as a bit of a surprise, especially since Bob Iger ended his position with the company a lot earlier than expected.
Iger left an impressive legacy behind at Disney, first becoming CEO in 2005. Iger was at the mantle during some of Disney’s most important projects, including Pandora: The World of Avatar, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, as well as the massive Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom.
Iger has been vocal about his love for the company, and earlier, this passion shined once again. Hurricane Ian has been devastating to Florida. The category four hurricane has already submerged thousands of homes, businesses, and buildings.
Walt Disney World closed down so its Guests and employees could remain as safe as possible. Iger recently wished safety for everyone in Florida, including Cast Members. The heartwarming sentiment was shared on the former CEO’s Twitter account. The tweet can be found below:
Praying for everyone in Florida, including all of my former cast members! Stay safe!
Praying for everyone in Florida, including all of my former cast members! Stay safe!
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) September 29, 2022
Disney World first announced plans to close all four theme parks on Tuesday, ahead of Hurricane Ian’s projected arrival on Wednesday. Theme parks were closed Wednesday and Thursday, and Disney Springs was also closed but a reopening timeline was just revealed.
For almost four decades, only two CEOs served The Walt Disney Company, being Michael Eisner from 1984 to 2005 and Bob Iger from 2005 to 2020. Now with two years on the job under his belt, Bob Chapek is facing a crisis that has the potential to rival or even topple the issues Eisner faced throughout the 80s and ’90s at the company.
What are your thoughts on Bob Iger?