Bob Iger Receives Disney’s 50-Year Service Award: ‘Truly the Ride of a Lifetime’

Michaela Zee

2 July 2024 at 0:35 am·2-min read

Disney CEO Bob Iger has been honored with the company’s 50-year Service Award.

The award features bronze statuettes of Snow White and the seven dwarfs — Doc, Sneezy, Grumpy, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy and Dopey — from the 1937 Disney animated film, along with the inscription, “Recognizing 50 magical years with the Walt Disney Company.”

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Although Iger has technically worked for Disney only since 1995 — the year the company acquired Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. — the award recognizes his start date at ABC in 1974 as a production assistant. (At the time, ABC was owned by American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres.)

Iger shared an image of the Disney Service Award in an Instagram post on Monday, writing, “I started my career at ABC 50 years ago today and the business has certainly changed a lot since then! But at the end of the day, success still hinges on one thing: great storytelling. I’m proud to work alongside so many talented colleagues who create exceptional stories and experiences for the world to enjoy… truly the ride of a lifetime!”

Iger’s official Disney position began in 1996, when he served as chairman of the Disney-owned ABC Group. In 1999, he was promoted to president of Walt Disney International, and he later served as Disney’s president and COO from 2000 to 2005.

Iger first worked as CEO of the Walt Disney Company from 2005 to 2020, during which he oversaw the acquisition of Pixar in 2006, followed by Marvel in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012. He then served as executive chairman and chairman of the board in 2021; he retired from the company in December of that year. In November of 2022, he returned to Disney as its CEO.

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