[askmike1]

Walt Disney Co is expected to name Robert Iger to replace Michael Eisner as chief executive officer, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The promotion of Disney's current president could be announced as early as Sunday, after the sole external candidate, Internet auction site EBay's CEO Meg Whitman, withdrew her candidacy, the Journal said.

Whitman decided to remain at EBay, in part because Disney was taking longer than promised to find a new CEO, a source told the paper.

Eisner put forth Iger, 54, as his preferred successor several months ago after announcing that he would step down as CEO when his contract expires in September next year.

Eisner's leadership sparked a shareholder revolt led by Roy Disney, nephew of the company founder, who blamed the top executive for lackluster performance in recent years.

The group was forced to fight off a hostile bid by US cable group Comcast in April, while Eisner finally won support from the Disney board in May after 43 percent of shareholders voted to oust him in early March.

Eisner was nonetheless replaced as chairman of the board by the former US senator George Mitchell, while remaining CEO.

Eisner said in a letter to the board in September that his resignation had nothing to do with recent crises at Disney.

In his two decades as CEO, Disney has built seven new parks, 28,458 new hotel rooms, 70 new cable television channels and released 800 movies, he said.

According to the Journal, Disney's board is to consider whether to usher Eisner out the door soon after a new CEO is installed, to ensure critics that the new chief executive has true control of the company.



On Good Morning America, they said this decision was made last night (3/12/05) at a board meeting.

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[10 min to wdw]

its on the front page at www.orlandosentinal.com

[askmike1]

It's official, Bob Iger will be the next CEO in September. The entire article in addtion to a bio on him and Michael Eisner's letter to the board can be found at
http://corporate.disney.go.com/news/..._iger_ceo.html

[Disney Jedi]

I hope this Robert Iger does a better job than Michael Eisner did. I know that Eisner has done some good things at Disney in the earlier days. But I hope that Iger will do a great job at being the next CEO of Disney.

Hopefully Iger will bring back the traditional 2D animation and 2D animators back to Disney or hire new people who are good at doing 2D animation.

[LetsGetDngerous]

So much for the whole 'Looking outside Disney' thing.. jeez, this is exactly what Roy and Co warned about.. this is barely a change at all.

[Disneydude]

Originally Posted by LetsGetDngerous

So much for the whole 'Looking outside Disney' thing.. jeez, this is exactly what Roy and Co warned about.. this is barely a change at all.

Why do you say that??? Do you think that Iger wont do a good job as well???

[ckenlady]

might as well be looking in a mirror. No things won't change and it will be as if Eisner had never left. Way to go boardmembers.....

[neten1975]

I was hoping that a new CEO would bring new ideas to the company, but with Iger we get more of the same. I hope he turns out to be different - for the better. He could be worse though too. It will be an interesting few months to see what he is like.

[disneymom3]

Does anyone know how close Iger and Eisner are--as far as personal relationships go? Because if they are close, perhaps Eisner may try to influence Iger and it will be as if Eisner never left...

But I am still keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that Iger will go back to traditional animation (yet still try to make amends with Pixar , and make a couple more movies with them, because let's face it: Toy Story 1 & 2 and The Incredibles were rather good).

Only time will tell, I suppose!

[Disneydude]

Wow thanks so much for the info!! I never knew that they they were a like! Man oh man Disney better het somone good on the board otherwise Disney wont have the same magic anymore!

[askmike1]

I don't know relationship wise, but I've heard they are opposites on how they run things.

*Note that the following is not my opinion*
If Eisner is the micromanager all you claim him to be, then Iger has been in his shadow the whole time. Once Iger is CEO, you'll know what he can really do.

[bberenato]

Well, im not sure what was wrong with Eisner the bigger issue is Roy wanting to get deeper pockets. I think Eisner at least maintains the Disney dream. Selling out to another company would be horrible, like Comcast would be an absolute NIGHTMARE. I really think a change is good once in a while at the top to keep it fresh. Selling out will turn Disney into a six-flags, and the business will suffer greatly.... keep the dream alive !!!

[HmDonald90]

Let's just see what Iger's all about!

[David73]

I hope that Iger dose better than Eisner. Eisner did some good things in his time but in the past few years he has been letting it go down. Disney hasn't kept up to there cleanliness. I the past few trips that I have been on I have seen they have really let the places where people don't always go slip by. The grass all died and the gound covered in pine needle and leaves. I just hope that he brings it back to the way it was in the past.

[The Maleficent]

Originally Posted by disneymom3

Does anyone know how close Iger and Eisner are--as far as personal relationships go? Because if they are close, perhaps Eisner may try to influence Iger and it will be as if Eisner never left...

But I am still keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that Iger will go back to traditional animation (yet still try to make amends with Pixar , and make a couple more movies with them, because let's face it: Toy Story 1 & 2 and The Incredibles were rather good).

Only time will tell, I suppose!

I have my fingers crossed too