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Bob Chapek was CEO of the Walt Disney Company for only a brief period before being unceremoniously ousted in favor of the former chief executive officer Bob Iger, in 2022. By any measure, that had to be an embarrassing ordeal, and it has taken until now for Chapek to publically take on a new position on the board of directors of Masimo, a powerful medical company currently entangled in a legal battle with one of Disney’s biggest rivals, Apple.
Masimo has announced (via Bloomberg) that Bob Chapek will join its board of directors, with CEO and Chairman Joe Kiani saying, “We are honored to have Bob join the Board. As we execute our hospital to home strategy, we expect to benefit greatly from Bob’s role on our Board.”
Related: Bob Chapek Says Working at Disney Was “Hell” in New Bombshell Report
Currently, Masimo is in court with Apple regarding an important ban over blood-oxygen reading technology being used in Apple Watches. Masimo claims that the tech giant has infringed on its pulse oximetry technology, while Apple is countersuing the company. Apple was banned from selling the current Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches in late December by the U.S. International Trade Commission but is in a state of appeal (per NBCNews).
Bob Chapek spent about three decades at the Walt Disney Company, serving as president of Disney Consumer Products, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and eventually Disney CEO at various times. Reportedly, the transition from Bob Iger (who had presided over years of expansive Disney growth) was not an easy one, and Chapek felt unsupported and even undermined by his predecessor.
Related: Bob Iger Severely “Disappointed” in Bob Chapek and Disney
Chapek also had the misfortune of leading the Walt Disney Company during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the shutdown of Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and many other parks, as well as a massive decline in box office receipts worldwide. After Bob Chapek sparked the ongoing feud between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, it became apparent that the board of directors was eager to bring back Bob Iger in hopes that he would right the company (which may have been a little too optimistic).
In a statement, Bob Chapek said, “I am thrilled to join the Masimo Board. I look forward to helping advance the company’s growth by leveraging their core technologies in the consumer and consumer health spaces.”
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