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As co-founder of the Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney pioneered the American animation industry and created iconic characters like Mickey Mouse that would become globally beloved.
Though he faced failures like going bankrupt early on, Disney persevered with innovations like the first synchronized sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie.
His drive to push creative boundaries led to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, one of the first animated feature films.
Beyond animation, Disney expanded into live action films, television, and theme parks, though projects like Disneyland were called "Walt's Folly" at first.
His vision and business savvy built the modern Disney entertainment empire. Even after his death in 1966, Disney's focus on storytelling and characters continues to inspire.
Revered as a uniquely creative force and masterful entrepreneur, his pioneering success made Disney one of the most admired media brands worldwide.
Roy was the co-founder of Walt Disney Productions and served as CEO for over 40 years.
Though initially hesitant about Walt's creative ambitions, Roy handled the business side and found ways to finance early Disney films and projects when banks refused.
His pragmatic support helped make Walt's dreams like Disneyland possible.
Roy oversaw Disney's corporate growth for decades and deferred his own retirement to supervise construction of Walt Disney World, ensuring his brother's final vision was realized.
After Walt died, Roy postponed his retirement again to lead the transition. His steady leadership maintained the Disney legacy until his death in 1971, setting the company up for continued success.
Donn Tatum stepped up as Chairman and CEO after the death of Roy O. Disney in 1971, becoming the first non-Disney family member to lead Walt Disney Productions.
Having been President and a key part of Disney management under the founders, Tatum provided continuity during this transition period following Walt and Roy's passing.
He led the company for most of the 1970s as Disney's films, theme parks, and other media continued to grow globally.
Important projects under Tatum included opening Walt Disney World and beginning plans for EPCOT.
While some criticize Tatum for a creative decline in Disney animation during this era, he maintained Disney's business success.
In 1976, Tatum passed the CEO title to Card Walker to focus full time on Chairman duties before retiring in 1980.
His nine years steering Disney forward after the iconic founders helped set the stage for the company's resurgence in the following decades under later leaders like Michael Eisner.
Having been with Disney since the 1930s, Card Walker took over as CEO from Donn Tatum in 1976.
After serving as Disney's President and COO through much of the 1970s, Walker provided operational leadership and business know-how during volatile economic conditions in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Key projects under Walker's tenure included the opening of EPCOT in 1982.
Though some criticize Walker for allowing Disney's animation quality and creativity to decline during this period, he maintained profitability and expanded the theme parks and resorts division significantly.
Walker stepped down as CEO in 1983 but continued serving as Chairman until also retiring from that role later in 1983.
His nearly 50 year Disney career and over 15 years as CEO/Chairman provided invaluable continuity between Disney's founding era and its revitalization under Michael Eisner starting in 1984.
Ron Miller became CEO in 1983, though his tenure would prove brief.
As Walt Disney's son-in-law, he rose up through the ranks to become Disney President and heir apparent in the late 1970s under Card Walker.
However, Disney struggled creatively and financially through much of Miller's presidency, damaging his standing despite efforts to boost feature animation and launch new ventures like Touchstone Pictures and Disney Channel.
Facing internal turmoil and lagging profits, the board dismissed Miller after little over a year as CEO in 1984, replacing him with outsider Michael Eisner and sparking a resurgence.
Miller is thus seen as presiding over a troubled chapter in Disney history, though much context about disagreements over the company's direction exists.
Brought in from Paramount in 1984, Eisner is widely credited with transforming Disney from a struggling studio into a thriving modern media conglomerate.
His first decade saw massive growth fueled by a string of hit animated films that composed the lucrative Disney Renaissance.
Eisner greatly expanded Disney's media holdings with strategic acquisitions like ABC and ESPN in the 1990s, while also pioneering full-fledged movie sequels.
Under his leadership, annual revenues grew from $1.5 billion in the early 1980s to over $30 billion by 2004.
However, Disney's animation declined in the 2000s amid increasing executive turmoil, with Pixar head Steve Jobs blaming Eisner's micromanagement.
Facing shareholder unrest and lagging profits as rival studio DreamWorks thrived, Eisner finally ceded his CEO role in 2005.
Veteran Disney executive Bob Chapek was tapped as CEO in February 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic erupted globally.
Facing unprecedented challenges, he oversaw temporary closures of Disney theme parks and delays of major films while also pushing the company’s streaming initiatives.
However, Chapek drew criticism for public relations missteps amid controversy over Florida legislation, as well as Frustration from employees over cost-cutting measures during the pandemic.
With Disney’s stock struggling, he was removed just 2.5 years into his CEO tenure in November 2022, much sooner than expected.
Bob Iger first became CEO in 2005, having impressively worked his way up from TV weatherman to head of ABC.
He quickly scored a major win by negotiating Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, bringing its creative guru John Lasseter aboard to revive Disney animation.
This set the tone for Iger’s first 15 years as CEO, marked by major expansions into Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox that vastly grew Disney’s intellectual property empire.
Meanwhile, Iger spearheaded Disney’s critical entry into streaming media. He opened Shanghai Disneyland, Disney’s largest foreign park investment.
Financial growth and stock prices soared for years under Iger’s visionary leadership. However, creative tensions, high executive turnover, and streaming losses mounted by 2020, spurring Iger to announce his retirement.
He was coaxed back as CEO less than two years later in late 2022 though, after perceived faltering progress under his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek.
With the company facing uncertainty, Iger's return signaled hopes he can guide Disney back to his earlier success.
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