Bob Iger

Bob Iger is an American businessman and media executive, best known for his role as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. He was born on February 10, 1951, in New York City. Iger's leadership of Disney has been widely regarded as transformative, guiding the company through a period of remarkable growth and expansion.

Iger began his career in television at ABC, eventually rising to the position of president of the network. He joined The Walt Disney Company in 2000 when Disney acquired ABC’s parent company, Capital Cities/ABC Inc. Iger served as Disney's CEO from 2005 until 2020, overseeing a series of high-profile acquisitions, including Pixar Animation Studios (2006), Marvel Entertainment (2009), Lucasfilm (2012), and 21st Century Fox (2019). These acquisitions expanded Disney's intellectual property portfolio significantly, including properties like Star Wars, Marvel Comics, and The Simpsons, and solidified Disney's dominance in the global entertainment industry.

Under Iger’s leadership, Disney also expanded its direct-to-consumer services, launching Disney+ in 2019, a streaming service that quickly became a major competitor to other platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. This move further positioned Disney as a leader in the future of media and entertainment.

Iger is credited with modernizing Disney’s approach to both traditional media and emerging technologies, making bold moves that helped the company remain relevant in the rapidly evolving entertainment landscape. His leadership style is often described as calm, strategic, and visionary, and he is respected for his ability to make long-term, transformational decisions.

In 2020, Iger stepped down as CEO, handing over the role to Bob Chapek. However, Iger remained involved with Disney as Executive Chairman, continuing to have a significant influence on the company’s strategy until his official departure from the role in 2021.

Iger has also written a memoir, The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, where he reflects on his career and the principles that guided his leadership decisions.

Articles by the author

If someone comes to you with, 'It's my kid's graduation,' you don't tell them, 'Sorry, you can't go to that.' You just don't do that. You figure out some other way.

Bob Iger

What I've really learned over time is that optimism is a very, very important part of leadership.

Bob Iger

I think it is important for people who are given leadership roles to assume that role immediately.

Bob Iger

I don't happen to believe, by the way, that immigration policies that single people out because of religion, for instance, are fair and just.

Bob Iger

You can't allow tradition to get in the way of innovation. There's a need to respect the past, but it's a mistake to revere your past.

Bob Iger

There is no science in creativity. If you don't give yourself room to fail, you won't innovate.

Bob Iger

If we give people the ability to buy a lot more because they can store a lot more, for a company that creates TV shows and movies, that's fantastic.

Bob Iger

I'm committed to increasing long-term value for shareholders and am confident we will continue to do so through the successful execution of our core strategic priorities: the creation of high quality, branded content and experiences, the use of technology, and creating growth in numerous and exciting international markets.

Bob Iger

When you think about it, media's the intersection of content and technology - it's all about storytelling, like photography and the camera.

Bob Iger

Honestly, I'm interested in politics; I'm interested in giving back in some form, performing some sort of civic duty. But I'm not exploring a run for governor or senator or anything along those lines. I'm focused on running Disney.

Bob Iger