• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & EntertainmentBusinessperson of the Year

Disney’s Successor Search Could Force CEO Bob Iger to Stick Around

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 6, 2017, 12:08 PM ET

Bob Iger’s extended retirement tour might be extended yet again.

The Walt Disney chairman and CEO’s oft-delayed retirement could be pushed back even further than the most recent target date of June 2018, with the entertainment giant considering another contract extension as the search continues for Iger’s eventual replacement, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources.

Disney’s board has already twice convinced Iger—who took the reins of the company in 2005—to extend his contract. The most recent extension, which was announced in June 2014, pushed back his retirement date to summer of next year.

But, last year’s departure of Chief Operating Officer Tom Staggs, who had been considered to be Iger’s most obvious successor, raised the possibility that the ongoing search for the CEO’s heir apparent could extend Iger’s tenure even further. Disney’s board has not commented publicly on the process of naming Iger’s eventual replacement since Staggs’ surprise resignation last April. And, while Iger has more than 16 months remaining on his current contract, the Journal notes that an extension may be necessary in order to give the Disney CEO time to train his successor.

Fortune reached out to a Disney spokesman for comment and we will update this article with any response.

Disney’s directors are expected to meet in early March during the company’s annual shareholder meeting, at which point they could reach a decision on another possible extension for Iger, who received $43.9 million in compensation in 2016.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Staggs’ departure last year kicked off rampant speculation as to who could be tabbed as the next successor to Iger’s throne at Disney. Fortune recently predicted that Facebook (FB) COO Sheryl Sandberg, who already sits on Disney’s board, could be a pick to replace Iger.

Iger’s run atop Disney (DIS) has been extremely successful for the “Mouse House,” which has seen its stock price improve by nearly 300% since Iger took over as CEO from Michael Eisner in 2005. Under Iger, Disney has expanded its entertainment portfolio with a series of successful acquisitions, including Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, and Lucasfilm. Each of those silos contributed blockbuster films in 2016—a year that saw Disney set a new Hollywood record for yearly global box office gross, with more than $7 billion in global ticket sales. Iger also oversaw efforts to launch Shanghai Disneyland, the $5.5 billion theme park and resort that opened in China last year.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

dolly
Lawphilanthropy
Dolly Parton’s Tennessee philanthropy kicks up a notch with renaming of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
By James Pollard and The Associated PressFebruary 26, 2026
47 minutes ago
the pitt
CommentaryDEI
‘The Pitt’: a masterclass display of DEI in action 
By Robert RabenFebruary 26, 2026
7 hours ago
eileen
PoliticsOlympics
Olympic champion Alyssa Lui has known Eileen Gu since they were kids: ‘I’m rooting for her always’
By Eddie Pells and The Associated PressFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
hughes
LawOlympics
Jack Hughes’ gold-medal goal boosts NBC to most-watched sporting event in U.S. history before 9am ET
By Joe Reedy and The Associated PressFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
AIMcDonald's
McDonald’s CEO is a ‘supersubscriber’ of AI tools—and even used it to photoshop all his kids into a Christmas card
By Sydney LakeFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
warner
Big TechM&A
Warner Bros. is still recommending Netflix’s takeover bid, but it’s reviewing a fresh Paramount offer
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressFebruary 24, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Innovation
An MIT roboticist who cofounded bankrupt robot vacuum maker iRobot says Elon Musk’s vision of humanoid robot assistants is ‘pure fantasy thinking’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Jeff Bezos says being lazy, not working hard, is the root of anxiety: ‘The stress goes away the second I take that first step’
By Sydney LakeFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
'Trump Accounts' means kids can have $270,000 saved by age 18.  Larry Fink says that's twice as much as most adults have now
By Catherina GioinoFebruary 25, 2026
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Ex–presidential candidate Andrew Yang warns that millions of white-collar workers will lose their jobs within 18 months: ‘The AI jobpocalypse is here’
By Preston ForeFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Jamie Dimon says society should start preparing for AI job displacement: ‘Now’s the time to start thinking about’ it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
In less than a year, Trump erased 12 years of solvency for the trust fund that pays for Medicare Part A
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 23, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.