Iger’s Return to Disney Struggles to Recapture Magic

Sometimes, the return of a visionary leader can mean great things for a business, such as when Steve Jobs returned to Apple and helped take the company to heights no one could have predicted.

Other times, such as in Bob Iger’s return to Disney, the results are more mixed.

The Los Angeles Times looks at how the House of Mouse is continuing to struggle a year into Iger’s second term as CEO. Iger, who first served as CEO from 2005 to 2020, returned in November 2022 after his handpicked successor Bob Chapek was fired.

The article notes:

“In the year since Iger returned to Disney to replace his beleaguered successor, Bob Chapek, he has been trying to fix one problem after another in nearly every corner of the Burbank behemoth. Disney’s organizational structure was broken. Expenses had soared. Disney’s faithful fans were furious about a series of price hikes at the vaunted theme parks, and Florida’s governor, presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, was taking swipes, saying the company was too ‘woke.’ Then, in May, 11,500 screenwriters went on strike, joined later by 160,000 actors.”

Though Iger declined, through a company spokesman, to comment for the article, it’s still a revealing look at a company that’s clearly had its fair share of struggles of late.

The article “Bob Iger was brought back to fix Disney. No one said it would be easy” was originally published on LATimes.com.