Bob Iger shares a farewell message with Disney employees and Cast Members

Dec 06, 2021 in "The Walt Disney Company"

Posted: Monday December 6, 2021 3:57pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Bob Iger will leave the Walt Disney Company at the end of the year after a near 50 year-long career, and just ahead of his departure, Bob has shared a farewell message with employees and Cast Members.

In the message, Bob emphasizes the important of creativity, "My one lasting appeal to everyone is to make sure you always keep the creative fires burning. Nothing has or will serve us better than the exceptional creativity that comes from talented cast members and everyone involved in the creative process. I will forever have a deep and very personal appreciation and respect for all of them."

My Fellow Employees and Cast Members,

As my time at The Walt Disney Company comes to a close, I write to thank all of you for what has been a thrilling and immensely gratifying 47½ years. I would love to be able to do this in person, but the global pandemic has deprived me of that opportunity, so please forgive the less than personal nature of this farewell.

It is impossible for me to fully express my feelings, but I would like to leave you with a few thoughts, some memories, and above all else, my deepest gratitude.

My ABC/Disney journey began when I was 23 and ends as I approach my 71st birthday. It has been unpredictable, exhilarating, wildly fulfilling, and certainly a lot of fun. To say I have tremendous respect and affection for the thousands of people I have worked with over the years would be a gross understatement.

I have enormous pride in what we have accomplished and transforming Disney into one of the world’s most admired companies is at the top of my list. We did this by producing the finest in content and experiences, embracing cutting-edge technologies, and expanding our presence around the world, and nothing has been more important to me than imparting and applying the highest standards of quality and integrity when it comes to our people and everything we create.

We’ve also endeavored to tell stories that reflect the rich diversity of our world, nurturing a multitude of perspectives, both in front of and behind the camera, and I am certain our continued work in this area will remain a top priority.

Given the abundance of consequential change in our world today, and the timeless desire for human connection, I am confident the need for great storytelling will endure for generations to come, enhanced by new technologies that will bring these tales to life and deliver them to people around the globe in even more extraordinary ways. As the world continues to evolve and transform, we will always gravitate to stories that bind us together – tales of adventure, love, friendship, and heroism, tales that enable us to escape, that comfort and inspire us, that give us hope and reason to be optimistic, tales that inform us… and, of course, touch our hearts. I can’t think of a more exciting time to be in our business.

I have a long list of favorite moments… too many to mention, but suffice it to say I loved coming to work every single day, and as I look back on my entire experience, it truly has been the “Ride of a Lifetime.”

I wish all of you the best of luck, and in particular, I wish my successor, Bob Chapek, lots of luck, too, as he steers this great company into its next century. Only seven of us have had the honor of being the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, a distinction I was always proud to have, and a responsibility I was honored to accept and fulfill. I know Bob shares those same feelings with me.

My one lasting appeal to everyone is to make sure you always keep the creative fires burning. Nothing has or will serve us better than the exceptional creativity that comes from talented cast members and everyone involved in the creative process. I will forever have a deep and very personal appreciation and respect for all of them.

Most important, never lose sight of what makes The Walt Disney Company such an incredibly special place… our unique culture marked by a shared sense of belonging, joy, camaraderie, and the pride that comes with doing what we do, and that is bringing people from different generations, ethnicities, and backgrounds together with our exceptional storytelling.

I also want to thank my four children, Katie, Amanda, Max, and Will, who have grown up with our company and never took for granted that “Dad” had one of the coolest jobs in the world. Their love has always fueled me. And, of course, I want to thank my wife, Willow, my single most trusted advisor, and my partner in all aspects of my life. The joys of running The Walt Disney Company were more than amplified by the joy we share together.

As I sail off into the sunset, I will remember these poignant words: “The past is a lantern on the stern of a boat, shedding light on the waters we have all sailed together.” I thank you all and wish you smooth waters ahead!

Bob

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Disstevefan1Dec 04, 2023

FIFY ;)

ewensell3Dec 04, 2023

Fair. Should learn to use search. :)

JoeCamelDec 04, 2023

Several pages back in multiple threads, half a billion or so each time it is paid

ewensell3Dec 04, 2023

Not seen it mentioned anywhere. Fan Shareholder service. $0.30/share dividend to be paid 1/10/2024

TouchdownDec 04, 2023

I would hope most people are, not directly, as Disney is part of the S&P 500 (and the Russel 2000) which should be a portion of everyone’s 401k in the form of a low cost index fund. Year to date the S&P is up 20% nominal, or about 16% real (factoring in inflation) stocks are so important as they are one of the few assets that has been shown overtime to beat inflation over the long term and thus one of the few pathways to true wealth. While they are risky (2022 saw a 19.6% loss) it has averaged 10% in the last 80 years. I know this doesn’t help anyone who is living paycheck to paycheck currently but I hope that anyone (especially someone more then 15 years from retirement) who is not isn’t just doing the easy thing and putting their savings in a savings account/money market fund or even short term treasuries as those assets rarely even keep up with inflation (the most recent gains are very much an exception not the norm.) Im not saying don’t invest in those vehicles they have their purpose as a hedge to a bad stock market year but they should not be used as your main vehicle for retirement assets while you are in your working years.

_calebDec 03, 2023

Tentpoles are a thing of the past. It's a yurt-lattice strategy from here on out.

MisterPenguinDec 03, 2023

Well... yeah. Why is that an issue? They're buying an asset that has worth. They're paying a sum that is equitable to it's worth. That's not going backward financially. What they're buying produces profit, and their share of the profit will go from 66% to 100%. And they'll integrate Hulu with D+ (and ESPN+ and all their linear channels becoming streaming content). That will make 'the bundle' that much more attractive to consumers. Disney *wants* to buy it. Comcast didn't force them, they both agreed to make it happen. And TWDC will still be profiting billions each year.

StripesDec 03, 2023

I see your point. I also think a lot of people may be waiting to see Wish on Disney+, which of course could very well affect Inside Out 2 as well. But, the Wish trailers also received a pretty lukewarm reception. The comments on the trailers, at least before the film was released were very skeptical. Inside Out 2 is getting a lot of positive feedback in the comments. The new movie is a soft reboot. They haven’t made an Apes movie in a long time. I watched all three and enjoyed them very much. People really seem to like the Deadpool character. I think it will do really well, assuming the film is well-executed. Marvel is still very popular. But their films have been hit or miss recently. Their TV shows on the other hand are doing very well on Disney+ and have been quite strong in my opinion.

Model3 McQueenDec 03, 2023

I don't think it's harsh I mean i'd like to know why Marvel and Disney movies are costing over 200 million dollars to make, and are still subpar; why major theme park decisions are consistently anti-consumer (and incoherent) and how Bob could possibly be so blind to it all. He, his hand picked board, and their management is not good. They haven't had a clear-cut financially successful film in years (sorry, omitting GotG3). Chapek was never CEO, he was consistently kept in the dark and Iger continued to be the puppet master. What am I missing?

TalkingHeadDec 03, 2023

Wish was the most watched animated trailer before that. Social media trailer views aren’t a reliable predictor. Be honest, Planet of Apes is a tired franchise that hasn’t produced a big hit in ten years. Deadpool might hit, sure, probably because it’s unlike the other Marvel content being produced.

jriceDec 03, 2023

Oops! I was wrong. They have $14billion in cash. Even though they have it, they still have to pay for Hulu.

_calebDec 03, 2023

I bet it's at least a million dollars.

JoeCamelDec 03, 2023

So you pay 10+ for Hulu and gamble on a couple of tentpoles with the rest?

Fido ChuckwagonDec 03, 2023

Good thing they didn’t invest it in Disney Stock.