“Yes I hired him” – Michael Eisner Speaks on Bob Chapek

Disney CEO, Bob Chapek, is, observably, not very popular at the moment with his company’s fan base. Whether it is due to more minor issues like the progression of annual passes or the overall direction in which he seeks to venture, the very mention of the name of Bob Iger’s has been proven to draw comments. And some of those latest comments come from Disney’s former CEO, Michael Eisner.

“I am a big fan of Disney. I am a fan of both Bobs. Yes, I hired him [Chapek]. Is he the same executive as I am, or Bob [Iger] is, or anybody is? He is his own guy. He was very good at Disney when I was there. He took our home video business from a rental to a sell-through business. That was very risky. He did a very good job in the parks. I am a shareholder. I think he’s going to do very well,” Eisner said Wednesday in an interview on CNBC.

According to Deadline, Eisner expressed empathy towards Iger for stepping down when he did back in February 2020, recognizing that “Getting off that treadmill is not a horrible thing.”

Related: As We Say Goodbye to Iger, Petition to Fire Disney CEO Bob Chapek Grows

“There is no loser here,” he continued. “I don’t think the shareholders are losers here, or the consumers are losers here, or certainly either of them” — Iger or Chapek.

Eisner spent 21 years of his career at the top of The Walt Disney Company. From his start in 1984 to his departure in 2005, Eisner would oversee the acquisitions of film and television studios, the revitalization of Disneyland and Disney World, and the creation of eight new theme parks like Disneyland Paris and Tokyo DisneySEA. After further watching his successor, Iger, complete a tenure of just under 20 years, and the company endure the shutdowns and restrictions sparked by the pandemic, Eisner still has faith that Disney’s still got its ears on.

“Bob [Iger] did extremely well. We did OK. I wouldn’t discount Disney. Disney went through… this pandemic. That does change a lot of things. I wouldn’t throw away your Disney tickets to the theme parks quite so early.”

As the Walt Disney Company nears its 100th birthday, one can only hope for its future.

Do you think Bob Chapek deserves all of the backlashes he’s gotten? Let us know in the comments!