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The career rise of Bob Iger, from local weatherman to Disney's repeat CEO

 


After initially saying he planned to retire (again) at the end of 2024, Disney CEO Bob Iger extended that deadline to 2026 last year. And don’t expect to hear much about who will replace him in that role before that time.

Disney, on Monday, announced it would name Iger’s successor in early 2026, which is later than many observers were expecting. That will give the board extra time to vet candidates, something that could prove beneficial after what happened with the selection of Bob Chapek as CEO in 2020. (The board fired Chapek two years later, and Bob Iger returned to the role, saying one of his goals would be to find a suitable successor.)

James Gorman, who was named the new chairman of the board at Disney, made the announcement on Monday, saying in a statement, “A critical priority before us is to appoint a new CEO, which we now expect to announce in early 2026. This timing reflects the progress the Succession Planning Committee and the board are making, and will allow ample time for a successful transition before the conclusion of Bob Iger’s contract in December 2026.” 

Who will take over the entertainment giant is still a mystery—and there’s always the possibility of a wild-card candidate coming in from outside the company. (It’s also worth noting that Iger delayed his departure three times in his first tenure as CEO from 2005 to 2020.) That said, Iger’s four direct reports have all reportedly met with the succession committee, making each a leading candidate for the job. Here’s a look at who’s who.

Alan Bergman

As co-chair of Disney Entertainment, Bergman oversees the company’s media and content business, specifically Disney Animation, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight. He also is in charge of the group behind the company’s live theatrical productions.

He joined Disney in 1996 and has held several senior leadership roles at Walt Disney Studios, helping to integrate several major acquisitions, including Pixar, Marvel, and Fox. His close ties with Hollywood (he represents the company on the Motion Picture Association board of directors and is a member of both the Television Academy and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) could work in his favor, as Iger has always taken pride in his relationship with Hollywood power players and stars.

Josh D’Amaro

Second to Bob Iger, D’Amaro is one of the most public faces for the company, making him a strong candidate for the CEO job. As chairman of Disney Experiences, D’Amaro oversees the company’s theme parks and Walt Disney Imagineering, which is the creative lifeblood behind the rides and other activities. He also is in charge of the company’s cruise line, which currently has five ships in its fleet, with four more on the way, and Disney Consumer Products. All totaled, he heads a team of 180,000 employees and is leading the company’s 10-year, $60-billion expansion of park attractions, new lands, and more.

D’Amaro, who often appears alongside Iger at major events, joined Disney in 1998, working at the Disneyland Resort. He was in charge of the reimagination of Epcot and has previously served as CFO for Disney Consumer Products Global Licensing, among other roles, giving him a solid financial background as well as a strong working knowledge of one of the company’s most important divisions. (Chapek, it’s worth noting, also ran the parks division before he was named CEO, which could possibly work against D’Amaro.)

Jimmy Pitaro

Pitaro is Disney’s go-to person in sports. The chairman of ESPN, he handles the company’s sports content portfolio and is a key player behind the upcoming streaming service that will include content from ESPN, Fox, and TNT. That channel could prove to be a significant revenue generator for Disney, given the growing number of leagues that are offering streaming exclusives, but won’t do so in the immediate future as a federal judge has temporarily blocked the service. (Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery have appealed that ruling.) Before making the jump over to ESPN, Pitaro was chairman of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media.

Pitaro joined Disney in 2010 as copresident of Disney Interactive, the company’s gaming division. Before that, he was head of media at Yahoo, where he guided strategy for Yahoo Sports and Yahoo Music.

Dana Walden

Walden serves as cochair of Disney Entertainment with Bergman. Her focus, however, is primarily on linear television, including ABC, FX, National Geographic, and Disney Branded television as well as Disney Television Studios. She has greenlit programs including The Handmaid’s Tale, Only Murders in the Building, 24, Bluey, and Shogun.

Variety has written that Walden has the leading edge in the race for CEO (as has CNBC), describing her as a “spiritual successor” for Bob Iger. Working against her, though, is her lack of experience with the parks, film, and cruise divisions, which are all critical to the company. Her friendship with Kamala Harris could also hurt her chances, given the company’s recent pains to avoid any political entanglements after its long and very public battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. If she is chosen as CEO, however, she would be the company’s first female leader in its 100-year history.

Robert Iger, Disney's on-again-off-again CEO — better known as Bob — has led the House of Mouse to new heights over the course of his time at the helm, spearheading massive acquisitions for the company and driving record revenue at its beloved theme parks.

"One of the most important qualities of a good leader is optimism, a pragmatic enthusiasm for what can be achieved," the now 73-year-old Iger wrote in his 2019 autobiography "The Ride of a Lifetime," released just before he announced plans to retire — plans that he'd later go back on.

"Even in the face of difficult choices and less than ideal outcomes, an optimistic leader does not yield to pessimism," Iger wrote, "Simply put, people are not motivated or energized by pessimists."

With Disney announcing that it will name Iger's successor in "early 2026," here's a look back at the CEO's career rise, from the host of a college television show to the multimillionaire leader of one of America's most beloved brands.

Representatives for Iger did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The son of a Navy veteran and stay-at-home mom

Robert Iger smiles at the camera while wearing a suit and tie to attend ABC TV Affiliates Party on May 12, 1992 at Cafe Luxumberg in New York City.
Iger was born to a Navy veteran father and a stay-at-home mom. Ron Galella via Getty Images

Iger was born in New York on February 10, 1951. His father, Arthur, served in WWII and later majored in marketing before becoming a professor of advertising at the New York Institute of Technology, Long Island. His mother, Miriam "Mimi" (née Tunick), was a stay-at-home mom until Bob entered high school, at which point she took a job at a local junior high school library.

A graduate of Ithaca College, Iger had early dreams of being a newscaster. He briefly hosted a TV show at school called "Campus Probe" and had an early job as a weatherman that The New York Times reported he "wasn't very good at."

He launched his career at ABC

A black and white photo of Robert Iger and Kathleen Susan attending a black-tie event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 10, 1993.
Bob Iger at a Beverly Hills event with his first wife, Kathleen Susan. ed Dayton/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images

Iger's early entry into a media career began in 1974 when, upon a referral from his uncle who had a contact at ABC, he began working on sets at the network for $150 a week, he wrote in his memoir. Shortly after that, he was hired as a studio supervisor.

"I got to know all of the people who made a TV show work," Iger's memoir reads. "Maybe most importantly, I learned to tolerate the demanding hours and the extreme workload of television production, and that work ethic has stayed with me ever since."

Iger rose through ABC's ranks for years

ABC president Bob Iger (L) kisses Oprah Winfrey (R) as she points toward the camera.
ABC president Bob Iger kisses Oprah Winfrey at the 76th Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball. Kevin Winter via Getty Images

Iger became a fixture at ABC, rising through the ranks to become a senior program executive and, by 1989, head of ABC Entertainment. As head of the network, he greenlighted iconic shows including "Doogie Houser," "Twin Peaks," and "America's Funniest Home Videos."

He continued his meteoric rise through the early 1990s, becoming president and chief operating officer of ABC's parent company, Capital Cities/ABC, in 1994.

When Disney bought ABC in 1995, Iger thrived. He stayed on as chairman of the company until he was promoted to running Walt Disney International, which oversaw Disney's international entertainment division, in 1999.

A twice-married father of four

Bob Iger pictured with his second wife, Willow Bay, and their son Max.
Iger had two children with his first wife, Kathleen Susan, and two more with his second wife, Willow Bay. New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images

The circumstances of their meeting and marriage are unclear, but Iger was married to his first wife, Kathleen Susan Iger until they separated in 1992. The pair had two daughters, Amanda and Kathleen.

He married his second wife, Willow Bay, a former correspondent for NBC's "Today Show" and later the dean of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Journalism, in 1995. The pair remain married and have two sons together, Robert and William.

CEO Michael Eisner's ouster was Iger's in

Robert Iger, President of Walt Disney Company, and Michael Eisner, Chairman and CEO of Walt Disney Company, attend the introduction of ABC's fall line-up at Radio City Music Hall.
Iger and Michael Eisner attend an introduction of ABC's fall line-up at Radio City Music Hall. Mark Peterson/Corbis via Getty Images

Beginning in early 2000, Iger served as president and Chief Operating Officer of Disney under then-CEO Michael Eisner, who had held the position since 1984.

Iger was second-in-command at Disney until the company's board launched a campaign called "Save Disney" to oust Eisner in 2005.

Reports at the time indicate Eisner, despite his bitter ending at Disney, was a fan of Iger's, being recorded by The Hollywood Reporter as saying: "I would not have agreed to [leave] if it hadn't been Bob," Eisner insists. "Because of governance, they wanted a big search and everything. … And by the end of the search, it was clear that I was able to convince the board — our newly constructed board — that Bob was great.

As CEO, Iger led a series of massive acquisitions

Disney's Bob Iger and Darrell Waltrip during the Premiere of Disney Pixar's "CARS" at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC, United States.
Iger and Darrell Waltrip during Disney Pixar's "Cars" premiere at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC. E. Charbonneau via Getty Images

Iger became Disney's chief executive in September of 2005, launching the company into a new golden era with the massive acquisitions of Pixar for $7.4 billion in January 2006, Marvel for $4 billion in August 2009, and Lucasfilm for $4 billion in October 2012.

He also expanded Disney's theme parks to China, opening up a lucrative new market for the company with the 2016 creation of the Shanghai Disneyland park.

Disney's board extended Iger's contract several times, pushing back his anticipated resignation date from June 2018 to 2021.

He considered a career in politics but decided against it

US First Lady Michelle Obama (L) joins The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert Iger during an event introducing Disney's new "Magic of Healthy Living"
US First Lady Michelle Obama joins Iger during an event introducing Disney's new "Magic of Healthy Living" program at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

Iger became more publicly involved in politics later in his career, supporting candidates across the spectrum as both a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's campaign for president and briefly as a member of then-President Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum.

Originally registered as a Democrat, Iger changed his affiliation to Independent in 2016. He briefly considered a run for president himself, though ultimately decided against it.

With his massive business success and relatively minor controversies throughout his career, Iger's political sway has continued to grow. In recent years, he has gotten into public spats with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his anti-LGBTQ+ policy positions and the state government's treatment of Disney's special tax district, which houses Disney World.

Plans to retire in 2020 were altered by the pandemic

Bob Iger smiles at the camera in front of a Marvel logo
Iger arrives for the World premiere of Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles. VALERIE MACON via Getty Images

Iger announced in 2020 his plans to retire at the end of his contract term in 2021, though the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately derailed his plans.

After the announcement, Disney's board named Bob Chapek — the then-chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products — to succeed him, making Iger the company's executive chairman while overseeing the transition.

The board later extended Iger's term as chairman to the end of 2021. He stepped down on December 31 that year, and Susan Arnold took his place as chairman.

Before his departure, Iger was consistently one of Hollywood's highest-paid CEOs, Business Insider previously reported, earning a $3 million salary in 2019, plus a $21.8 million bonus, $10 million worth of stock awards, and $9.6 million worth of stock options.

A short-lived retirement

Bob Iger smiles off camera while wearing a suit in front of a black background.
Iger's contract with Disney was recently extended. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

After a tumultuous tenure, Chapek was ousted as Disney's CEO in November 2022. After leaving the company, Iger reportedly undermined his successor's time in the role, taking meetings with Chapek's staff without inviting him and fighting to maintain access to his cushy office with a private shower.

Iger was reinstated as the company's chief executive, with his contract originally set to expire in 2024 — long enough to identify a new successor.

However, Disney's board in 2023 voted to extend his contract to the end of 2026, increasing his compensation package by several million dollars.

A legacy in question

Bob Iger smiles while wearing a suit without a tie.
After returning to serve again as Disney's CEO, Iger has found himself in the middle of a contentious fight for control of the company's board. Michael Blackshire via Getty Images

Since returning to serve as Disney's CEO, 73-year-old Iger has been "overwhelmed and exhausted," Bloomberg reported, with the company in worse shape than he'd expected to come back to.

The company's floundering stock performance in recent years made shareholders skeptical that Iger could bring the magic back to the entertainment giant after a series of big-budget flops.

Ahead of Disney's annual meeting in April, Iger faced a contentious battle to maintain control of two seats on the company's board, facing attacks from activist investors who have criticized his leadership and Disney's "years of seemingly poor choices and failed strategies."

Iger prevails in proxy fight

Bob Iger and Mickey Mouse
Iger defeated a second attempt by activist investors to gain control of Disney's management board. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Despite challenges from activist investors, including billionaire hedge fund founder Nelson Peltz, who sought to replace two seats on Disney's management board, Iger prevailed in April after shareholders agreed that he remains the best man to control the House of Mouse.

The proxy fight between Disney and activist investors is estimated to have cost all parties an estimated $70 million.

"Now that this distracting proxy process is behind us, we're here to focus 100 percent of our attention on our most important priorities, growth and value creation for our shareholders and creative excellence for our consumers," Iger said after the vote, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Bob Iger and his wife sign deal with world's most valuable women's sports team

Bob Iger and wife
Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay own a controlling stake of the Los Angeles-based Angel City FC. Michael Tran/AFP via Getty

Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay, a journalist and the dean of USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, signed a deal with Los Angeles-based Angel City FC at a $250 million valuation.

Iger and his wife now own a controlling stake in the franchise.

Other public figures in the ownership group include Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, and Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian.

Disney gives an update on the search for Iger's successor

bob iger, ceo of disney
Disney said it plans to announce a new CEO in early 2026. Getty/Business Insider

Disney said on October 21 that it planned to announce a new CEO in early 2026, a later date than many media insiders expected. The company also announced that James Gorman, the former CEO of Morgan Stanley, would be its new chairman.

"This timing reflects the progress the Succession Planning Committee and the Board are making, and will allow ample time for a successful transition before the conclusion of Bob Iger's contract in December 2026," Gorman said in a statement.

Iger's potential successors include Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, who lead Disney Entertainment; the company's parks chief Josh D'Amaro; and ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro. Disney also said it would continue to explore external options for successors.

Iger is contracted until December 2026, after signing his contract in November 2022.

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