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Conversations From the Corner Office
BIO
The Walt Disney Co. President and CEO Bob Iger
Bob Iger is president and chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company based in Burbank, Calif.
Right out of college, Iger wanted to be a television newscaster. He got his start as a weatherman and feature reporter at a local television station in New York state. (Perhaps it was his turns as a high school actor and sportswriter for the school newspaper that inspired him.)
Iger says he soon realized he didn't have what it took to succeed in front of the camera, so he redirected his career plans and joined ABC behind the scenes in 1974. He served as a studio supervisor and later made the jump to ABC Sports, where he became vice president for programming in 1987. A year later, he needed to be fast on his feet to salvage ABC's coverage of the Calgary Winter Olympics when high temperatures disrupted the scheduling of many outdoor events.
Iger eventually worked his way up to several senior management positions, including president and chief operating officer of Capital Cities/ABC. And he played a key role in guiding ABC's merger with the Walt Disney Company. In 1996, he became chairman of the Disney-owned ABC group and later president of Walt Disney International.
In contrast to Disney's previous CEO, the temperamental Michael Eisner, Iger is seen as a low-key, collegial delegator and consensus builder. Though some questioned his leadership and his creative vision when he took the reins at Disney, Iger is credited with bolstering the company's animated film offerings by acquiring Pixar Animation Studios and naming Pixar animator John Lasseter as Disney's chief creative officer. He also patched up relations with Walt Disney's nephew and major shareholder Roy Disney, who was a vocal critic of Iger's promotion to CEO when it was first announced.
Iger grew up in Oceanside, New York, and recalls being a fan of the Mickey Mouse Club when he was 5 years old. After high school, Iger attended Ithaca College, where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in broadcasting.
Today, Iger lives in Los Angeles with his wife, TV show host Willow Bay, and their two sons. He has two daughters from his first marriage.
RELATED LINKS
PRESIDENT AND CEO
The Walt Disney Company history
CORPORATE WEBSITE: The Walt Disney Company
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