Bob Iger returned to lead The Walt Disney Company as CEO in November 2022.
Disney’s board appointed Iger effective November 20, 2022, after Bob Chapek stepped down. Iger had already served as Disney’s chief executive from 2005 to 2020, making his return an unusual comeback at the top of a major entertainment company.
During his first tenure, Iger oversaw Disney’s acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox, while also expanding the company’s international theme-park and streaming ambitions. His return was intended to stabilize the company and guide its next succession process.
The key mix-up is Bob Chapek: Chapek was the CEO Iger replaced in 2022, not the returning executive. Michael Eisner was Disney’s earlier CEO, serving from 1984 to 2005, while Jeffrey Katzenberg was a senior Disney executive but never the company’s CEO.