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Credit: CNBCIt’s been a tumultuous year for The Walt Disney Company (TWDC), which ousted former CEO Bob Chapek in November as stock prices crumbled. Well-regarded retired CEO Bob Iger returned to replace Chapek on a two-year contract stipulating that he would select and train a replacement.
Fans were excited about the change, but 71-year-old Iger warned that he couldn’t please everyone. He vowed to continue with promised layoffs and promised to keep Disney out of politics, despite speaking in favor of gun control at an event days later. This comes amidst a heated battle between Walt Disney World Resort and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who plans to take over a special municipal services district the Disney Park has held since 1967.
Nevertheless, Disney retained the admiration of the public. According to a new report from Fortune Magazine, The Walt Disney Company is the sixth most admired company in the world behind Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase. Other companies in the top ten include Costco Wholesale, Pfizer, Alphabet, and American Express.
Related: Disney Channel Set to Cease All Broadcasts, Effective This Month
This is the 20th year that The Walt Disney Company has made Fortune Magazine’s list. The company celebrated with a blog post, writing:
For the 20th consecutive year, The Walt Disney Company has been recognized as the top-ranked media and entertainment company on Fortune’s annual list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies,” released online today and in the magazine’s February/March issue. Disney ranked No. 6 overall among the 324 listed companies from across the globe.
Disney earned top marks in a significant number of areas, including innovation; people management; use of corporate assets; social responsibility; quality of management; financial soundness; long-term investment value; quality of products/services; and global competitiveness.
Fortune Magazine collaborated with global management consulting firm Korn Ferry for this annual study. Company executives, directors, and security analysts from dozens of industries weighed in on the qualities of each company in the running. Responses were compiled to finalize the top ten and fifty World’s Most Admired Companies.
Do you consider The Walt Disney Company one of the most admired in the world?