Over the past 24 hours, things at The Walt Disney Company have undergone quite a shakeup. Returning Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger is not slowing down as another senior executive has just been announced to “step down” from the company.
In case you were not aware, Disney’s former CEO Bob Chapek was let go from The Walt Disney Company yesterday evening. Previous CEO Bob Iger stepped in and alerted Cast Members through an email about his return. Disney recently released a statement regarding the departure of Chapek: ‘We thank Bob Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic,’ said Susan Arnold, Chairman of the Board. ‘The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the Company through this pivotal period.’
Now, it has been announced that the chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Kareem Daniel, will be stepping away from his position. Variety shared the news, including a statement from Iger which thanks Daniel for his “his many years of service to Disney.”
Iger continued, “I’ve asked Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Jimmy Pitaro, and Christine McCarthy to work together on the design of a new structure that puts more decision-making back in the hands of our creative teams and rationalizes costs, and this will necessitate a reorganization of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. Our goal is to have the new structure in place in the coming months. Without question, elements of DMED will remain, but I fundamentally believe that storytelling is what fuels this company, and it belongs at the center of how we organize our businesses.”
Daniel was moved to chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution in 2020 by Bob Chapek.
It seems more change may be on the way, as Iger stated, “I know change can be unsettling, but it is also necessary and even energizing, and so I ask for your patience as we develop a roadmap for this restructuring. More information will be shared over the coming weeks. Until a new structure is put in place, we will continue to operate under our existing structure. In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and thank you again for all you do.”
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Wow! Iger ain’t playing and he ain’t wasting time. I love it! Right the ship!
Can we send Bob Iger a thank you email?? YAY!!!
Let’s hope he can fix the Reedy Creek debacle Chapek created.