Beverly Rodriguez
Keiser University
Fort Lauderdale, FL
July 6, 2014 Bob Iger became Walt Disney’s CEO in 2006. He faced several management challenges. First challenge: Restructuring the gigantic Disney Corporation, no longer able to manage it traditionally in the business sense. The next challenge had to do with what made Walt Disney what it is today, the leader in film animation. Yet another challenger Iger faced had to do with eliminating factors that no longer worked for the “Disney Brand.” Bob Iger took on the first challenge with a planning approach by dividing up the enormous size Walt Disney had become and he accomplished this by redesigning Walt Disney into five brands: Disney; ESPN, ABC, Pixar, and Marvel Entertainment. Bob Iger used a simple principal manner of management, he used the principal of empowerment, allowing each Brand to stand alone, but still fulfilling the basic high standards that Disney represents. Iger began his new title as Disney’s CEO by his leading approach by acquiring Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm. Iger wanted to join these forces together with Disney in order to secure the staple of leadership in the animation film industry. These companies were left to run as they were, with a sort of “hands-off approach”, but still maintaining control to ensure the Disney brand as one of the best companies in the world. Bog Iger had to deal with what was the movie flop, John Carter, a film disappointment to Disney that resulted in a whopping $200 million write-off, making it of the most massive movie failure in film history. Iger came to realize that Richard Ross was no longer the right person to lead the Film Division and it was time to find the right one. Bob Iger has announced that he will be stepping down as Disney’s CEO sometime in 2016 and most recently he is being considered for Major Leagues Baseball Commissioner. Disney stands at the very
References: J. Richard and M. Adamo, “Bob Iger: Disney’s Fun King,” Fortune, May 21, 2012. Contemporary Management, 8th ed., Gareth R. Jones / Jennifer M. George Fortune, July 2013, Disney “America’s Most Admired Companies