Walt Disney Company: Board extends Robert A. Iger's contract as CEO until 2026
The Walt Disney Company announced that Robert A. Iger will continue as Chief Executive Officer through December 31, 2026.
In unanimously deciding to extend Iger's contract for two years, board members noted that Iger's extension provides continuity in the company's leadership during the ongoing restructuring and provides more time to implement a transition plan for CEO succession, which remains a priority for the board.
"Bob Iger has proven time and again that he is capable of successfully transforming Disney to deliver future growth and financial returns, earning him a reputation as one of the best CEOs in the world," said Mark G. Parker, chairman of The Walt Disney Company. "To ensure the successful completion of this transformation while allowing sufficient time to position a new CEO for long-term success, the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interest of shareholders to extend his term, and he has agreed to our request to remain Chief Executive Officer through the end of 2026.“
Iger returned to the company in November 2022 after serving as CEO and chairman from 2005 to 2020 and then executive chairman and chairman of the board until 2021. Since his return as CEO, he has led a company-wide transformation to put creativity back at the center of the business and position Disney's streaming business for sustainable growth and profitability.Throughout his tenure as CEO, Iger's strategic vision has focused on three fundamental pillars: generating the best creative content possible, driving innovation and leveraging the latest technologies, and expanding into new markets around the world.Iger built on Disney's expertise in telling unforgettable stories with the acquisitions of Pixar (2006), Marvel (2009), Lucasfilm (2012) and 21st Century Fox (2019).He installed the first Disney theme park and resort in mainland China, opened the Shanghai Disney Resort, and a string of record-breaking films, including Marvel's Avengers: Endgame, Disney's Frozen and Frozen 2, and Marvel's groundbreaking Black Panther. Iger, who has always been passionate about new technology, has made Disney an industry leader through its creative content offerings on several new platforms, including the highly successful launch of the Disney+ streaming service in November 2019.
Iger first became Disney's chief executive officer in October 2005 and was elected chairman in 2012.
He served as Disney's president and chief operating officer from 2000 to 2005.Iger officially joined the Disney executive team in 1996 as chairman of the ABC Group, which is part of Disney. In 1999, he was given additional responsibility as president of Walt Disney International.He began his career at ABC in 1974.
Iger was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 2015. For his service to U.K.-U.S. relations, he was made an Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of The Walt Disney Company, which has sold more than one million copies since its publication in 2019.