Michael Eisner, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, is a fan of the current CEO Bob Chapek. He’s also a fan of Chapek’s predecessor Bob Iger. In an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Eisner sang his praises of both of the Bobs.
“I am a big fan of Disney. I am a fan of both Bobs. Yes I hired him [Chapek]. Is he the same executive as I am, or Bob [Iger] is, or anybody is? He is his own guy. He was very good at Disney when I was there. He took our home video business from a rental to a sell-through business. That was very risky. He did a very good job in the parks. I am a shareholder. I think he’s going to do very well,” Eisner said.
Eisner stepped down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005. Iger departed officially on December 31, 2021. He stepped down as CEO nearly two years earlier. In total, Iger spent nearly 50 years with Disney. How the transition out of Disney is going to go has been a point of discussion.
“We’ve talked about it,” Eisner said. “Having 50 unanswered emails, and seven scripts you haven’t read and 30 phone calls you haven’t returned… Getting off that treadmill is not a horrible thing. I think he is interested in writing another book, looking at his opportunities. He is not 25 years old, as I’m not. Between ABC and Disney, he spent many years at one institution. I think he is coming up for air and you will hear about him and things he will be doing and his wife Willow [Bay] will be doing in the future.”
Eisner continued and said that “There is no loser here. I don’t think the shareholders are losers here, or the consumers are losers here, or certainly either of them” – either Iger or Chapek.
Eisner also shared that Disney historically does pretty well. “Bob [Iger] did extremely well. We did OK. I wouldn’t discount Disney. Disney went through… this pandemic. That does change a lot of things. I wouldn’t throw away your Disney tickets to the theme parks quite so early.”
While Disney+’s rocket start in 2020 had Disney as a favorite of investors, 2021 didn’t have the same trajectory. This has led to some questions about the future of Disney and its new leadership. Earlier this week, Chapek laid out the three pillars that he believes will take Disney into the next 100 years of success. How that will play out remains to be seen. What can be seen right now is that Eisner, the former CEO and now stockholder at The Walt Disney Company, has faith in the company and its new CEO.
What do you think of Eisner’s thoughts on Bob Iger and Bob Chapek? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
