Robert Iger & The World of Walt Disney

Ashley Kawashima

Mass Communications

September 18th, 2011

Robert Iger and the World of Walt Disney

              When speaking in terms of revenue the worlds largest media conglomerate is The Walt Disney Company founded on October 16, 1923 by Walt Disney himself (The Walt Disney Company). Although management and control of the Walt Disney company has been passed on over the past 80+ years the goals of Disney have for the most part remained the same as when Disney began designing and planning out the company with the help of his brother Roy. Walt lived his life and built disney around his famous words “My business is making people, especially children, happy.” This has been the goal of Disney and all Disney affiliates since it’s formation in 1923. A corporation on a smaller scale designed with children in mind has morphed and grown into the largest mass media producer in the world striving to reach and entertain people of all ages (Company History).

The current CEO and president of The Walt Disney Company is a man named Robert Iger . “Robert A. Iger became president and CEO of the Walt Disney Company in October of 2005 after having served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Walt Disney Company since January of 2000” as stated on the official Walt Disney Company website.  Robert began his career after graduation Cum Laden from Ithaca University as a television weatherman in Ithaca NY for ABC studios. Over the next few years of his life he migrated around ABC in various categories under various positions. This plethora of work experience made it so Bob was better prepared and able to take on the job of President and CEO of Walt Disney Company due to the wide range and variety of media industries the company encompasses.

Since becoming CEO of the company Robert has overseen the acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios as well as Marvel Entertainment, working to further broaden not only the company but the character franchise of Disney itself. This is exactly the goal that Walt Disney set out to reach when creating the Walt Disney Company. To be able to reach a large audience of people by entertaining them and keeping them happy. As Robert worked his way up to the top of the Walt Disney Company he earned the name of traditional businessman often times showing up at the office as early as 4:30am and working long hours into the night. He runs the Walt Disney Company with “a lot of sincerity and has that rare CEO quality–humility” quotes Nell Minow  the editor of the Corporate Library, who also stated that Robert “is not as glitzy and showbizzy” (Robert A. Iger Executive Biography).

These qualities of sincerity and humility have been important characteristics in helping Robert to build on the kind of Disney that Walt would be proud of. People respect Iger because he gives others respect and with respect comes hard work and creativity that reaches beyond the imagination. He has been able to instill a greater passion, creativity, motivation, and work ethic into the company while expanding in all directions. In the business of putting dreams and imagination on the big screen you have to be able to motivate and delegate to get what needs to be done done and in the most efficient and cost effective manor. With a big multibillion dollar company like Disney

As president and CEO of Walt Disney Company Igor has run into his fair share of problems and road blocks. It has been his challenge o rebuild and revive ABC Family the cable network which had been struggling with ratings for some odd years (Bob Iger). This attempt has been so far successful, but a constant uphill battle. Robert’s devotion to change and expansion for the better of the company has brought about his title as one of Fortune magazine’s 25 Most Powerful People in Business, one of the Top Gun CEOs by Forbes Magazine and one of the best CEOs by Institutional Investor Magazine (Company History). These titles and Robert’s well known work ethic and desire to help the company become better then ever has earned him great respect in the business industry which has been key in building relationships with other companies over international boarders and allowing the merging and coexistence between Walt Disney and other major media companies such as Pixar, ESPN, Marvel Entertainment, and many others.

Robert’s motivation for the company has been expansion, changing with technology, giving the people what they want and deserve, while at the same time focusing on preserving what Disney has already achieved and worked up to. Robert has stated “We like the size of the company today given the environment and have no plans to split it up and make it smaller” (Robert, Iger). Robert’s motivation and focus on working to make what the company already makes profit on even more profitable helps to encourage the creativity of the staff and employees making the work environment more positive and focusing more on what Disney has that they can offer their audience, rather then what Disney doesn’t have but needs.

Robert has also formed bonds between Disney and Apple to offer people new and innovative ways to experience Disney sponsored television shows and movies through modern technology important to Mass Communication and distribution. This connection with another major mass communication portal was crucial for Disney in distributing their products in a way that was easy for people of all ages to attain. Since Robert has taken control of the company he has done a lot to increase publication and creation of entertainment that is oriented to people of all ages, which in a changing social system where everyone is looking for something different can be a difficult task to succeed at but Disney doesn’t seem to be doing to bad for themselves so I would say he is doing a job well done.

When reviewing the changes, additions, and personal influence that Robert Iger has had on the Walt Disney Company since becoming President and CEO the effect have been large and mostly for the better. He has implemented various mergers to increase character options and to help spur creativity in his writers and creators. His positive attitude also helps to encourage greater work ethic and success for the company as a whole. All in all Robert’s contributions to the company have been positive, cost effective, caused an increase in marketing and helped to increase the audience of viewers that the Walt Disney Company is able to reach. Succeeding and far surpassing anything Walt Disney himself could have ever imagined Disney would become.

Bibliography: 

– “Bob Iger.” Encyclopedia of World Bibliographies. Adva Mag. inc, Web. 15 Sept. 2011.

<http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2006-Ei-La/Iger-Bob.html>.

– “Company History.” The Walt Disney Company. Disney, Web. 14 Sept. 2011.

<http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/complete_history_1.html>.

– “The Walt Disney Company.” Wikipedia. n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2011.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company>.

-“Robert A. Iger Executive Biography, ” The Walt Disney Company,

http://corporate.disney.go. com/corporate/bios/robert_iger.html (August 8, 2005).

-“Robert Iger.” Brainy Quotes. Web. 19 Sept. 2011.

<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_iger.html>