As the transition within The Walt Disney Company from the era of Bob Iger to Bob Chapek reaches its completion and we approach Iger’s retirement date at the end of this year, the former CEO is tying up a few loose ends and saying his final goodbyes to the company he’s spent nearly 50 years with.
Today, Iger sent a letter to Disney employees and Cast Members with well-wishes to Chapek as well as a heavy emphasis on the importance of creativity and the unique culture and story of The Walt Disney Company.
You can read the full letter below:
My Fellow Employees and Cast Members,
As my time at The Walt Disney Company comes to a close, I write to thank all of you for what has been a thrilling and immensely gratifying 47½ years. I would love to be able to do this in person, but the global pandemic has deprived me of that opportunity, so please forgive the less than personal nature of this farewell.
It is impossible for me to fully express my feelings, but I would like to leave you with a few thoughts, some memories, and above all else, my deepest gratitude.
My ABC/Disney journey began when I was 23 and ends as I approach my 71st birthday. It has been unpredictable, exhilarating, wildly fulfilling, and certainly a lot of fun. To say I have tremendous respect and affection for the thousands of people I have worked with over the years would be a gross understatement.
I have enormous pride in what we have accomplished and transforming Disney into one of the world’s most admired companies is at the top of my list. We did this by producing the finest in content and experiences, embracing cutting-edge technologies, and expanding our presence around the world, and nothing has been more important to me than imparting and applying the highest standards of quality and integrity when it comes to our people and everything we create.
We’ve also endeavored to tell stories that reflect the rich diversity of our world, nurturing a multitude of perspectives, both in front of and behind the camera, and I am certain our continued work in this area will remain a top priority.
Given the abundance of consequential change in our world today, and the timeless desire for human connection, I am confident the need for great storytelling will endure for generations to come, enhanced by new technologies that will bring these tales to life and deliver them to people around the globe in even more extraordinary ways. As the world continues to evolve and transform, we will always gravitate to stories that bind us together – tales of adventure, love, friendship, and heroism, tales that enable us to escape, that comfort and inspire us, that give us hope and reason to be optimistic, tales that inform us… and, of course, touch our hearts. I can’t think of a more exciting time to be in our business.
I have a long list of favorite moments… too many to mention, but suffice it to say I loved coming to work every single day, and as I look back on my entire experience, it truly has been the “Ride of a Lifetime.”
I wish all of you the best of luck, and in particular, I wish my successor, Bob Chapek, lots of luck, too, as he steers this great company into its next century. Only seven of us have had the honor of being the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, a distinction I was always proud to have, and a responsibility I was honored to accept and fulfill. I know Bob shares those same feelings with me.
My one lasting appeal to everyone is to make sure you always keep the creative fires burning. Nothing has or will serve us better than the exceptional creativity that comes from talented cast members and everyone involved in the creative process. I will forever have a deep and very personal appreciation and respect for all of them.
Most important, never lose sight of what makes The Walt Disney Company such an incredibly special place… our unique culture marked by a shared sense of belonging, joy, camaraderie, and the pride that comes with doing what we do, and that is bringing people from different generations, ethnicities, and backgrounds together with our exceptional storytelling.
I also want to thank my four children, Katie, Amanda, Max, and Will, who have grown up with our company and never took for granted that “Dad” had one of the coolest jobs in the world. Their love has always fueled me. And, of course, I want to thank my wife, Willow, my single most trusted advisor, and my partner in all aspects of my life. The joys of running The Walt Disney Company were more than amplified by the joy we share together.
As I sail off into the sunset, I will remember these poignant words: “The past is a lantern on the stern of a boat, shedding light on the waters we have all sailed together.” I thank you all and wish you smooth waters ahead!
Bob
Bob Iger
Iger makes his exit from The Walt Disney Company on December 31, 2021 after a career of nearly 50 years with ABC and Disney. He was named CEO in 2005, succeeding Michael Eisner, where he served for nearly 15 years until stepping down in early 2020. Iger’s career brought Disney to the top of the entertainment world, acquiring Pixar, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox in addition to championing the construction of Shanghai Disney Resort, among many other projects.
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Good riddance, and take Bob Paycheck with you
…. Really. You just insulted a heartfelt letter. Look people have different ways of doing things, with people having their own opinion on it. Heck after talking with family members who understands how business works and other things I can explain a few things that this site might not know about and explain recent events. Plus this guy saved the company from potentially falling so I don’t think it’s appropriate here to just insult him.
Actions speak louder than words, and CEOs/Chairmans are not exempt. Iger set the trajectory of the company south, overspent on useless acquisitions, created concerning ties to China and CCP, and more. And Chapek is running it into the ground.
#goodbyeiger #takechapekwithyou
Bob,cheepcrap , has got to, give Disneyland back annual passes,give back fast pass, and before the government steps in stop using the the price of everything all the time, and on the weekends.that’s or some beans scalper.&if you can’t keep the full time /w-benefits make them part time with benafit
The clear emphasis on the importance of creativity right after wishing Chapek good luck seems to be a pretty strong hint there.
I really wish I can talk to him. I have some interesting things that I can talk about. Say come to himk about it I think you guys can do an interview with him sometime talking about how things have been going amd such. Let me know what you think about it.
Iger’s way of thinking. We’re going to take Walt Disney’s legacy and destroy it. We’re no longer going to create films that promote family values and clean fun, instead we will incorporate gay and trans characters so that children can learn from their sexuality. We want to see gays in cartoons and Marvel movies, and even the Beauty and The Beast remake. It will be grand and Walt…well…we don’t care what he thinks. We want to be entirely leftist control and Woke is the new Tinker Bell. If Woke doesn’t like a ride because they didn’t like the movie, we will get rid of it or change it. If Woke doesn’t like a white Santa, we will get a black one for them. We will kiss their ass. As far as the parks…we are raising ticket prices, we are raising food prices, we are raising resort and hotel prices, we are doing away with the meal plan, free Fast Passes, Disney’s Magical Express, and our superior customer service. We are going to make it so that only the rich will visit us and there is nary a trace of white trash or people of color entering our parks. I hope you all have learned from my time as the CEO, that if you don’t agree with someone’s Dream, you can destroy it.