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Bob Iger Wants Employees To Be Optimistic About Disney’s Future, but Many Are Skeptical

In a recent town hall, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger, did his best to instill optimism in employees, but they didn’t bite.

The Walt Disney Company has recently entered a new era of building. That’s what Robert Iger (Bob Iger), its long-lasting CEO, communicated at the most recent earnings call. Of course, it’s also worth noting that this message of hope came after a tough year of Bob Iger tightening Disney’s purse strings to no end; the company fired 4000 employees and canceled another 3000 openings, all in all impacting 7000 job positions.

Some big names also lost their jobs during this time, and for a few months, it was unclear what the future held for Disney. However, Bob Iger has come out, explaining that there was a lot to be optimistic about…just some employees are not entirely certain if that’s true.

Bob Iger Disney CEO
Disney CEO Bob Iger / Credit: Disney

Read More: After Firing 4,000 Employees and Canceling 3,000 Jobs, Bob Iger Declares “New Era” for Disney

Iger Shares Message of Optimism at Recent Town Hall

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently addressed the state of the company at a town hall that he led along with his division chiefs, Alan Bergman and Dana Walden (heads of entertainment, including TV, film, and streaming), ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, and Josh D’Amaro (Disney Parks).

During this town hall, Iger shared, “I talk about optimism being an extraordinarily important trait of a leader because no one wants to follow a pessimist. But I also believe that hopeless optimism doesn’t do anybody any good. I have, I think, real reason — and we have real reason as Disney — to be optimists, and it starts with the fact that we’re Disney.”

Iger added, “And Disney, as you know, is a brand unto itself, but it’s also an umbrella company that houses many assets and many great brands. So, reason to be optimistic No. 1 is that.”

magic kingdom disney world
Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

Related: Bob Iger, Listen Up: Disney Parks Are the Solution to This Big Problem

This is a message of hope and a message of bright things in the future. And, in fairness to Mr. Iger, all of his words ring true. Disney is an enormous brand and has a long history of being at the head of innovation in entertainment. The company is celebrating its centennial this year; this is no small achievement.

But, as many have pointed out recently, despite Disney’s incredible milestone, the company still has a smidge of trouble to deal with. Bob Iger, despite being in what he calls a new era of building, still has his work cut out for him.

And in order to make this work, they’ll need to deploy a serious and carefully crafted strategy.

Head of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Josh D'Amaro, Co Chair of Disney Entertainment Dana Walden, and Disney CFO Christine McCarthy.
Head of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Josh D’Amaro, Co-Chair of Disney Entertainment Dana Walden, and former Disney CFO Christine McCarthy / Credit: Disney

Related: History Repeats Itself: Critics Warn Disney is “Rotting From the Head Down”

Bob Iger Seemingly Witholds Disney’s Strategy from Employees in Town Hall

And this was precisely what some felt was missing from Bob Iger’s town hall address. “I feel shocked at the lack of news value,” one Disney employee shared with Variety following the town hall.

But others weren’t fazed by this. “I thought it was very optimistic and it meant a lot for him to be [in New York], and not just in LA,” another company source shared. “People really admired him and for him to be candid and speak freely and talk about the business. Everybody knew this wasn’t meant to break any news, it was just him talking to employees on the heels of our hundredth anniversary, his anniversary one year back in.”

Main Street, U.S.A., Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort
Main Street, U.S.A., Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort/Credit: Disney

Ultimately, we don’t yet know what the future of Disney’s legacy will be. But it’s definitely worth noting that Bob Iger is an astute businessman, if for nothing else, and is unlikely to be making empty promises to shareholders, fans, and employees.

Priyanka Kumar

Priyanka is a writer, artist, avid reader, and travel enthusiast based in Chicago. In her free time, she is probably walking by the lake, catching up on the latest releases on TV, or spending inordinate amounts of time rewatching Moana, Encanto, and her Disney Channel life-long favorites Zack and Cody wreak havoc on the Tipton.

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