Bob Iger Reflects on His Storied Career Ahead of D23’s Disney Legends Ceremony
With one day to go until D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, The Walt Disney Company is getting ready to induct the 2026 class of Disney Legends.
Ahead of his induction as a Disney Legend on Sunday evening, Bob Iger sat down to reflect on his extraordinary career.
Here is what he had to say.
The Beginning
While Bob Iger would eventually have one of the most impactful Disney careers in company history, when he started out, he never could have dreamed where his journey would take him.
Photo: Disney
“When I started my career at ABC in 1974, I never imagined that one day I would be honored as a Disney Legend. At that point, I was simply focused on doing my job to the best of my ability and learning as much as I could from people around me,” he said.
Photo: Disney
“Over the course of my career, Disney became far more than a place where I worked. I’ve had the privilege of spending more than five decades working alongside remarkable people and helping steward a company built on creativity, imagination, innovation, and remarkable storytelling. Few people get the opportunity to devote so much of their professional lives to something they genuinely love, and I never took that for granted.”
What Makes Disney Special
Having led Disney for decades, Iger is uniquely attuned to what makes the company so special.
Photo: Willow Bay on Instagram (via PEOPLE)
“What makes Disney different is that almost everyone, somewhere in their life, has a Disney story, or a Disney memory. We are more than a company; Disney is a cultural companion for so many,” he mused.
“It might be the first Disney film they saw as a child. And it might be a Mickey Mouse plush toy that never left their side. It might be a family trip to one of our theme parks around the world that they’ve remembered for decades. Very few companies become part of people’s personal memories in that way.”
Bob Iger – 2024 Annual Shareholder Meeting
That connection with fans creates a unique responsibility for the men and women who make up Disney.
“Those experiences are deeply individual, but together they create a connection that spans generations, cultures, and continents. That’s what has always made Disney unique. We aren’t simply entertaining audiences; we are creating experiences and stories that become part of people’s lives,” Iger explained.
Photo: PRNewsFoto/The Walt Disney Co.
“That connection also carries a tremendous responsibility and everyone who works here understands that we are entrusted with something that means a great deal to people around the world.”
Walking a Fine Line
While Disney is a company that has become beloved for its celebration of the past, embrace of nostalgia, and unique connection with fans, it has also long been an innovator.
Photo: Disney
Walking the line between cherished history and embracing the future was perhaps the core challenge of Iger’s career.
“I’ve always believed that great companies need to be clear about what should never change and equally clear about what must. The values that define Disney — creativity, quality, innovation, and a deep respect for the audience — are timeless. Those values will always endure,” he explained.
Photo: Disney
“At the same time, the world doesn’t stand still. Technology evolves, consumer habits change, new opportunities emerge, and companies that fail to adapt eventually lose relevance.”
To ensure that Disney would not be left behind, Iger established three priorities: invest in high-quality branded content, embrace technology, and become a truly global company.
Photo: Disney
“Those priorities reflected where I believed the world was heading, but they were also rooted in Disney’s enduring strengths,” he explained.
Photo: AFP
“Invest in high-quality branded content, embrace technology, and become a truly global company. Those priorities reflected where I believed the world was heading, but they were also rooted in Disney’s enduring strengths.”
The Big Purchases
Looking back on Bob Iger’s career, he will likely be best remembered for the massive purchases he made as CEO.
Photo: Disney
Under Iger’s leadership, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox were all brought under the Disney umbrella.
“Each of those acquisitions was different, but they all reflected the belief that if you invest in great storytelling. You’re investing in something that can endure,” Iger reflected.
Photo: Disney
“In every case, they had leaders who had built strong cultures and created brands, characters, and experiences that audiences connected with deeply. Our goal was never to change what made those businesses successful. It was to support their talent, preserve their creative cultures, and help them continue doing what they did best.”
Opening Shanghai Disney
Turning to the Disney Parks, Iger will be remembered as the man who expanded Disney’s global footprint and opened Shanghai Disney Resort.
Photo: Disney
“One of my priorities from the beginning was helping Disney become a truly global company. I’ve always believed that great storytelling is universal, and the themes at the heart of Disney stories — hope, courage, family, friendship, and adventure — resonate with people everywhere, regardless of geography, language, or culture,” Iger explained.
“At the same time, global growth isn’t simply about bringing Disney to more places. It’s about understanding and respecting the people you’re hoping to reach. Shanghai Disney Resort embodied that philosophy. We described it as authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese because we wanted it to reflect both Disney’s heritage and the culture of the people it was built for.”
Bob Iger. Photo: Also Disney
The success of Shanghai showed that Disney’s appeal and core tenets are universal.
“The success of Shanghai reinforced something I’ve long believed: when you approach people with humility, listen carefully, and remain committed to quality, remarkable things can happen,” Iger said.
Photo: Disney
“Global expansion allowed Disney to reach new audiences around the world, but it also broadened our own perspective. It challenged us to think differently, learn from different cultures, and become a stronger company in the process.”
Return to Disney
Once upon a time, it appeared that Bob Iger’s time at the helm of Disney had come to an end with his retirement in 2019.
Image: Disney
Eventually, however, he was drafted back into the fold by the Disney board.
According to Iger, he was surprised by how much the job had changed.
Bob Iger and Mickey. Photo: Getty Images
“Coming back to Disney gave me a perspective I could never have gained any other way. For the first time in my career, I had the opportunity to step away from the company, observe it from the outside, and then return during a period of significant challenge and change,” he said.
“If there was a central theme to that chapter, it would be how dramatically the environment for leadership has evolved. We live in a world that is faster-moving, more interconnected, and more volatile than ever before. Information travels instantly, decisions are scrutinized in real time, and issues that once might have unfolded over weeks can now emerge and escalate within hours.”
“Stepping away and then returning gave me a unique vantage point from which to observe those changes. If there is one lesson I would add to the book, it’s that uncertainty is no longer an occasional challenge for leaders; it’s a constant. The ability to adapt, maintain perspective, and stay focused on what matters most has become more important than ever,” he continued.
Becoming a Disney Legend
It has been 54 years since Bob Iger first joined ABC. On Sunday, he will be immortalized as a Disney Legend.
Taylor Swift & Bob Iger
“It’s also impossible not to think about the remarkable individuals who have been recognized as Disney Legends before me, and about the legacy that began with Walt himself,” Iger said.
“So many of the people I have admired throughout my career, and had the good fortune to know, have helped shape Disney into what it is today. To be included among them is both humbling and deeply gratifying. I feel on top of the world.”
Photo: MickeyBlog
