We’re close to the end of the top 5 list and this one has some parts to it (as others do if you’ve been following along). This story could have been at the top, but there has been one more thing to top off the whole list. And this has been good news for the Disney company, and I would say even for us fans. It is Bob Chapek being named CEO.
Surprise!
In February of this year, there was a sudden announcement that came from the Disney company of Bob Chapek being named successor to Bob Iger as CEO of the company. A transition plan began to be in place with several positions being moved around and filled in throughout the company. One position that stayed vacant at the time was the Parks and Resorts and Consumer Products head position…
The Bobs
In April, our present crisis was in its beginning. Bob Iger came back in as acting CEO, temporarily relieving Chapek. In all, there was still a plan in place but it enabled experience to help with an emergency. Iger wasn’t set to fully leave the company at that time anyway. So, it might have seemed to be a step back, but both Bobs were helping make decisions in the crisis.
Magic Happens
With the chairman of parks and resorts still vacant, there were questions on who would head it up. It didn’t take too long before someone was found. Josh D’Amaro was made head of the division in May, a spot vacated by Bob Chapek. Where this is mostly about Bob Chapek becoming CEO, naming D’Amaro as head of parks has appeared to be a great decision that has pleased many.
Plussing Up the Company
Now things have returned back to the original plan with Bob Iger taking a board and creative role in the company, and Chapek both being CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Walt Disney Company. In a major move, Chapek has restructured the company into two major divisions of parks and entertainment. The focus is going to be on entertainment and Disney+ in particular moving forward. It is most likely from the pandemic conditions and what was able to continue under that time. But, it does seem to be the right move for the company. It might have shocked fans, but it looks like it is getting the company back into the fundamentals of how it started: stories. Whether or not decisions came from a sudden need from a world crisis, Chapek seems to be making good decisions for the company structure.
It’s hard to think that all this happened within the year. I remember the sudden news of Bob Iger leaving and Bob Chapek stepping in. It seems like it was much longer than months ago. Yet, it definitely took things by storm and continues to unfold. Perhaps with no surprise, unlike the original news, this was one of the big stories of the year.
Here is some of the coverage of all these changes this year:
Bob Chapek Named Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company
Disney CEO Bob Chapek Elected to Board of Directors for The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company Announces Strategic Reorganization Of Its Media And Entertainment Businesses
