• Faith: Judaism
• Career: Businessman
• Birthday:  February 10, 1951

Bob Iger is an American media executive best known for leading The Walt Disney Company through a period of major expansion that included the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm and much of 21st Century Fox. He served two separate terms as Disney's chief executive officer, first from 2005 to 2020 and again from 2022 to 2026.

Robert Alan Iger was born on February 10, 1951, in New York City and raised in Oceanside, Long Island, in a Jewish family of Austrian-Jewish heritage. He is the oldest son of Miriam "Mimi" Iger and Arthur L. Iger. His father was a World War II Navy veteran who later worked as an advertising and public relations executive and professor. His mother worked at Boardman Junior High School in Oceanside.

Iger attended Fulton Avenue School and graduated from Oceanside High School in 1969. He went on to Ithaca College, where he studied television and radio and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973. Early in his career, Iger considered becoming a television news anchor and briefly worked as a weatherman in Ithaca.

Iger began his television career in the early 1970s and joined ABC in 1974, initially working in a low-level production job. He steadily rose through the network's ranks. A major turning point came when he served as a senior program executive for ABC's coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. His handling of weather delays and other broadcasting challenges helped raise his profile with company leadership.

In 1989, Iger became head of ABC Entertainment, where programs developed during his tenure included "Twin Peaks" and "America's Funniest Home Videos." He later became president of the ABC Network Television Group and then president and chief operating officer of Capital Cities/ABC.

Disney acquired Capital Cities/ABC in 1996, bringing Iger into the company that would define his career. He became president of Walt Disney International in 1999 and president and chief operating officer of Disney in 2000. In 2005, he succeeded Michael Eisner as CEO.

As CEO, Iger pursued an aggressive strategy of acquiring major entertainment brands. Disney purchased Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006, Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in 2009 and Lucasfilm for approximately $4 billion in 2012. The company followed with its $71.3 billion acquisition of much of 21st Century Fox in 2019. Iger also oversaw Disney's expansion in international theme parks and its push into direct-to-consumer streaming through Disney+ and Hulu.

Iger stepped down as CEO in 2020 and left Disney at the end of 2021. However, after the board dismissed his successor, Bob Chapek, Iger returned as CEO in November 2022. He remained in the position until March 2026, when Josh D'Amaro succeeded him.

Iger has been married twice and has four children. His first marriage, to Susan Iger, ended in divorce in 1994. The couple had two daughters.

In 1995, Iger married journalist and television executive Willow Bay in Bridgehampton, New York. Their wedding was an interfaith ceremony incorporating Jewish and Roman Catholic traditions. Iger and Bay have two sons.

Iger published his memoir and leadership book, "The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company," in 2019.

Bob Iger's Religious Beliefs

Iger was born into an Austrian-Jewish family and raised in a Jewish household on Long Island. His Jewish heritage has remained part of his public identity, although he generally keeps his personal religious beliefs and level of observance private.

His 1995 marriage to Willow Bay reflected the couple's different religious backgrounds. Their wedding incorporated both Jewish and Roman Catholic traditions rather than being conducted exclusively within one faith.

Iger has also publicly demonstrated ties to the Jewish community during moments of crisis. Following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, he personally contacted members of Disney's Shalom Jewish employee group. In a message to Jewish employees, Iger expressed his shock, sadness and outrage over the attacks and offered support to employees with family and loved ones in Israel.