Disney extends CEO Bob Iger’s contract through 2026

By Thomas Buckley | Bloomberg

Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. extended the contract of Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger for another two years, giving the longtime executive more time to implement his turnaround plan and find a successor.

Under the new arrangement, Iger will remain CEO through Dec. 31, 2026, the company said Wednesday in a statement.

Iger, 72, returned to run the entertainment giant in November after previously serving as CEO for 15 years. At the time, he was given a two-year deal expiring in December 2024. In addition to improving Disney’s profitability, he was charged with helping to find his replacement, a critical process for any company, but one that the company has bungled in recent years.

Disney made the announcement while Iger was attending the annual Allen Co. conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. Also at the event, which features leaders from the worlds of entertainment, technology and finance, were two people viewed as potential successors, Disney theme parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro and TV chief Dana Walden.

Iger, who previously ran the company’s TV business, is credited with beefing up Disney’s creative arsenal. He acquired the Pixar animation studio shortly after becoming CEO in 2005, and later added Marvel’s superheroes and Lucasfilm, parent of Star Wars. As a result, Disney dominated the movie industry with hit after hit in 2010s. Iger also opened the Shanghai Disneyland resort.

Iger has had less success finding someone to replace him. After briefly making Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs his second in command, the company named parks chief Bob Chapek as CEO in February 2020.

Chapek’s tenure, which coincided with the pandemic, was rocky, and the board fired him last year after he became embroiled in clashes with talent, staff and Florida officials.