Back to Biz with Katie and Boz: Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger
Next Question with Katie Couric
Katie Couric Media
4.4 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 25 September 2020
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this special episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, Katie takes the mic solo and shares her conversation with Disney Executive Chairman, Bob Iger. Early on, Iger dreamed of becoming the next Walter Conkrite and landed a job as the local weatherman for a small upstate New York TV station. He soon realized he was better suited behind the camera and began working his way up the corporate ladder at ABC, eventually leading the network’s sports and entertainment divisions. In 2005, he was named Disney’s CEO, ultimately transforming the beloved brand into a global powerhouse through a series of bold acquisitions -- Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm all joined the Disney family during Iger’s tenure. Along the way, he built a reputation for his kindness, integrity, and enthusiastic appreciation of creative talent. He stepped down as CEO in February of this year, assuming the role of Executive Chairman. Soon after, the pandemic hit and the world changed seemingly overnight -- particularly for Disney, a company built on in-person experiences like theme parks, movies, sports, and cruise lines. As Iger helps lead the company through perhaps the most challenging time of its nearly 100-year history, he speaks with Katie about this unprecedented moment along with all the other twists and turns of his remarkable life and career.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just a few miles off the Thailand coast, the island of Kothau looks like a postcard. |
| 0:07.0 | I'd underneath the surface lies something sinister. |
| 0:11.0 | In the last 20 years dozens of tourists have died mysteriously on the island. |
| 0:16.0 | A dark cloud who's come over the island, death, mystery and danger. |
| 0:23.0 | Listen to Death Island every Wednesday on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:30.0 | I'm Katie Kirk and welcome to a bonus episode everyone of Back to Biz with Katie and Bose. |
| 0:36.0 | Only it's just me for this one. |
| 0:39.0 | Don't worry though, Bose and I are cooking up some ideas and we'll be back to biz together before too long. |
| 0:45.0 | In the meantime, I'm really happy to share a very interesting conversation I had with Disney's executive chairman Bob Eiger. |
| 0:53.0 | Bob has spent more than 40 years working for companies that are now part of Disney. |
| 0:58.0 | In 2005 he took over a CEO and transformed the beloved brand into a global powerhouse through a series of bold acquisitions. |
| 1:06.0 | Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm all joined the mouse house during his tenure. |
| 1:12.0 | Maybe the most impressive part though is that he did it all while gaining a reputation as one of the nicest most respected guys around. |
| 1:20.0 | He told the story of his remarkable life and career in his recent memoir The Ride of a Lifetime and stepped down as CEO in February of the year. |
| 1:29.0 | What he didn't know at the time though was that there was one more unexpected turn he'd have to navigate before his ride was over. |
| 1:38.0 | Shortly after his resignation the pandemic hit and the world changed seemingly overnight, particularly for Disney. |
| 1:46.0 | A company built on in-person experiences like theme parks, movies, sports and cruise lines. |
| 1:53.0 | Bob Eiger is back in the saddle again and is leading Disney through perhaps the most challenging time of its nearly 100 year history. |
| 2:02.0 | We talked about how he's managing this moment along with all the other twists and turns in his career and also a lot about what shaped him and what makes a good leader. |
| 2:14.0 | My husband was so cute this morning he said. |
| 2:17.0 | Bob's book was the best business book he'd ever read. He said it was so full of humanity empathy and humility. |
| 2:24.0 | And I thought that was such a nice thing to say that I wanted to pass it along. |
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