Bob Iger Commences Disney Reorganization Laying Off Chairman of Media and Entertainment Distribution

And so it begins, the great reorganization of our time. Less than 24 hours after Disney shocked the entertainment world by announcing Bob Iger's return as CEO, replacing Bob Chapek, the new boss has begun the company's restructuring. In a memo distributed to staffers on Monday, Bob Iger announced that the company would be “implementing organizational and operating changes” over the coming weeks, and the first heads are already rolling.



Thanking him for “his many years of service to Disney”, Iger announced that Kareem Daniel will no longer be chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. The move was justified as a way to put the power back in the hands of creatives, which necessitates a restructuring of the Distribution division. According to Variety, Iger wrote the following in the memo:

Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger pose together during the after party at the world premiere of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in Hollywood on May 10, 2018.(Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)



Daniel first stepped into the position in October 2020 after 14 years working at the House of the Mouse. Chapek also created said division in a move to redirect the company's focus into streaming. That structure was meant to act as the middleman between the creative teams (like Lucasfilm) and the audiences, being effectively in charge of deciding where each project was headed. As a result, the division decided three consecutive Pixar films would be released on Disney Plus as opposed to a traditional theatrical release, and Pixar had no say in the matter. They also took power away from the Disney-owned production companies in their marketing efforts, being ultimately responsible for the ad campaigns for all Disney content.



Bob Iger has always believed in giving full control to the creatives, as he's repeated in all memos released to employees since his return on Sunday night. This is opposed to Chapek's more frivolous and numbers-based approach, which included a more corporate-based structure with executives having the final word, which ultimately tanked the company's stock price. Iger was beloved or, at the very least, respected by employees and division heads alike, while Chapek's decisions were questioned by most of them. Besides refocusing the entire Disney brand into streaming and pushing for several price hikes for their platforms as well as the parks, he also made some highly criticized decisions like firing Peter Rice, former Chairman of Disney General Entertainment Content, a beloved figure in the industry that was also considered Chapek's succession rival.



Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, poses in a conference room before speaking to members of the media about bringing NFL football back to the Los Angeles area, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)



It's unknown what will happen to the Media & Entertainment Distribution division, a Chapek creation. It could be repurposed, rebranded, or scrapped altogether, but if Iger is going back to his roots and reinstating policies that made Disney the media giant that it is today since succeeding Michael Eisner, sub-companies like Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Marvel Studios will be getting a lot of their power back.



More news will surely be coming out soon from the Disney headquarters now that the restructuring has started.



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