Disney’s board of directors has asked the legendary Bob Iger to resume the CEO role he ceded to Bob Chapek in 2020 after 15 years in the role, with the aim of reviving the American entertainment group, AFP reported on Monday. and Agerpress.

Bob Iger, 71, has agreed to return to the management of the Disney group for another two years in order to create a “renewed growth” strategy, according to a statement from representatives of the American company. He will also have to work with the Board of Directors to find a successor.

“The Board of Directors believes that, at a time when the Disney Group is going through an increasingly difficult period of transformation in this sector of operations, Bob Iger is particularly well-placed to lead the Group at such a pivotal time,” the president said. board member Susan Arnold, quoted in the same press release.

Bob Iger, a supporter of the family image and politics promoted by Disney, headed the group from 2002 to 2020 and remained executive chairman of the board until the end of 2021.

“He is deeply respected by Disney Group management,” added Susan Arnold.

The Disney group, founded in 1923, did not specify the reason for Bob Chapek’s departure, only announcing that he had decided to leave the position of CEO. Group veteran Bob Capek took over in early 2020, just before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He then had to manage the closing and then reopening of Disney theme parks, as well as the expansion of streaming platforms.

The results of his work, as a result of which the Disney+ service faces stiff competition from the platforms Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max, are mixed.

Streaming is in trouble for Disney

Disney+, which officially launched in Romania this summer, also gained new subscribers in the third quarter of this year, reaching more than 164 million users at the end of September.

But the VoD platforms (video on demand – no) of the American group (Disney+, ESPN and Hulu) recorded an operating loss of almost 1.5 billion dollars.

Although its division dedicated to “attraction parks, experiences and derivatives” benefited from record sales in the same period, the group’s overall turnover disappointed specialists in this market.

Disney shares fell more than 13% in a day after announcing financial results in early November. Disney’s share price is down 40% from its year-to-date price.

Bob Chapek’s tenure was also marked by a difficult episode created in Florida, where the Disney Group initially announced it had decided not to rule on a law that would ban the teaching of topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary schools.

At the insistence of employees, Bob Chapek finally criticized the text of the law, which angered conservative Gov. Ron DeSantis and suspended the favorable administrative status that the Disney World amusement park received in the 1960s in this American state.

Who is Bob Iger?

Under the leadership of Bob Iger, the Disney group became a real empire in the field of entertainment, having acquired the animation studio Pixar (Finding Nemo, Toy Story) in 2006, Marvel (X-Men, Spider-Man and the entire Avengers series) in 2009 and Lucasfilm (Star Wars, Indiana Jones) in 2012, and most of the assets of the former 21st Century Fox Group in 2019.

The launch of the Disney+ streaming platform was one of the latest big developments.

During Bob Iger’s tenure, the value of Disney shares increased more than fivefold.

“I am very optimistic about the future of this great company, and at the same time, I am pleased that representatives of the board of directors have asked me to return to the position of CEO,” said Bob Iger, as quoted by the publication. same press release.