Disney Company , making him the number two executive . As his fairytale continued , Roy Disney shook up management in 2005 , making Bob Iger CEO .
Most of us only think about what Bob Iger did during the time he served as CEO — the ways in which he moved the Walt Disney Company forward . He brought us so many acquisitions : Pixar , Marvel , Lucasfilm , and 20th Century Fox as well as expansions in the parks .
And , just for good measure , he reacquired the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit , which had been taken from Walt Disney early in his career .
Iger stepped down as CEO in early 2020 , only to be brought back to the role temporarily in response to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic .
OUR WORLD : It is easy to forget how many people in our lives have inspired us as we take up the task of challenging the status quo . In a culture that continuously elevates the individual over the community , we often lose the plot of the story of life .
I am thankful that Bob was willing to take a job without prestige at ABC . Sometimes , taking a risk may not feel like a grand gesture , but it is simply doing what needs to be done .
One thing we have realized in 2020 is that there is no such thing as an unimportant job . Many people who are on the front lines never intended to be . Jobs that so many would have considered menial are now seen under a new light — as an essential part of the fabric of the societies in which we live .
In our dreams and master plans , we don ’ t always take into account the importance of the other travelers on our path . The words they speak in the right moments , the outstretched hand when we have fallen — these keep the pages of our memoirs turning .
As I was researching Bob Iger , I came across a comment from David Geffen ( co-founder of DreamWorks ): “ I have never heard one person say a bad thing about him , and I have never seen him be mean .”
There are many small ways in our lives that we can challenge the status quo . We can , like Princess Anna , choose “ the next right thing ” in everything we do .
This , my friends , is the secret ingredient to the magic of Walt Disney World . Doing what is right , making magic for the people around us . Bob knows that , and so should we .
BY BRIAN MCCUMSEY
Star Wars : Galaxy ' s Edge , one of many park expansions executed during Bob ' s time as CEO . PHOTO BY COURTNEY REYNOLDS