It’s pretty obvious that Disney has had quite the run with Bob Iger. After all, it was under his tenure that they acquired Marvel, Lucasfilm, and broke countless blockbuster records as a result. And that’s not even counting the more recent history in which Disney acquired Fox and launched their major streaming service Disney Plus. As such, seeing that Bob Iger is leaving the company, it’s definitely going to be interesting to see where Disney goes from here. Bob Iger was already replaced as CEO by Bob Chapek in 2020. However, Bob Iger did remain chairman of the board – although Walt Disney Company has now announced his replacement for that position as well.
With Bob Iger planning to leave his chairman role on December 31, 2021, it’s become obvious that Disney will need a new chairman. As such, they’ve announced that the role will now go to Susan Arnold. This new comes via Business Wire.
Here’s what Bob Iger had to say about replacement Susan Arnold taking over for him as chairman, a role he’s held since 2012.
“Having most recently served as independent Lead Director, Susan is the perfect choice for Chairman of the Board, and I am confident the Company is well-positioned for continued success under her guidance and leadership.”
Susan Arnold already acted on the board for the past 14 years, and has plenty of experience alongside Bob Iger. Before this, she acted as independent lead director for the company since 2018. Here’s her own statement on the matter:
“As I step into this new role as chairman of the board, I look forward to continuing to serve the long-term interests of Disney’s shareholders and working closely with CEO Bob Chapek as he builds upon the Company’s century-long legacy of creative excellence and innovation.”
This is a very big moment in the company’s history, as not only is Susan Arnold the tenth chairman of the board – but she’s the first woman to become chairman as well. It’ll be interesting to see how the company continues to move forward without Bob Iger and with Bob Chapek and Susan Arnold in these positions. The Walt Disney Company chairman of the board will be in charge of presiding over meetings and conducting the board’s business.