Bob Chapek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Chapek
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Chapek in 2020
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Robert Alan Chapek
1959 (age 65–66) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Title | Former chief executive officer, The Walt Disney Company |
| Term | February 25, 2020 – November 20, 2022 |
| Predecessor | Bob Iger |
| Successor | Bob Iger |
| Board member of | Masimo |
| Spouse(s) |
Cynthia Ford
(m. 1980) |
| Children | 3 |
Robert Alan Chapek (born 1959) is an American businessman. He used to be the chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from 2020 to 2022. In 2024, he joined the board of directors for Masimo, a company that makes medical technology.
Before becoming CEO, Chapek worked at Disney for 26 years. He started in the Home Entertainment part of the company. He then became the Chairman of Parks & Resorts. Chapek's time as CEO was sometimes debated. He left the role on November 20, 2022. Bob Iger, who was CEO before him, took over again.
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Early Life and School
Robert Chapek was born in 1959 in a suburb of Chicago. His parents were Marie and Bernard W. Chapek. He grew up in Hammond, Indiana. His family often visited Walt Disney World for vacations.
Chapek finished high school in 1977. He earned a science degree in microbiology from Indiana University Bloomington. He also has a business degree from Michigan State University.
His Career Journey
Before joining Disney, Chapek worked for the H. J. Heinz Company. He also worked in advertising for J. Walter Thompson. He started at The Walt Disney Company in 1993 and stayed until 2022. In January 2024, he joined the board of directors for Masimo, a medical technology company.
Working at Disney
Home Entertainment Work
Chapek started at Disney in 1993. He was the marketing director for Buena Vista Home Entertainment. This part of Disney focused on VHS tapes back then. Former CEO Michael Eisner said Chapek was an executive who would "always be on the rise." He helped Disney's home entertainment move into the digital age. He focused on releasing movies on DVD and later Blu-ray discs.
In 2006, he became the president of Buena Vista Home Entertainment. By 2009, he was president of distribution for Walt Disney Studios. Because he started in home video and rose to the top, some called him "the home entertainment industry’s single biggest success story."
Leading Consumer Products
In September 2011, Chapek became president of Disney Consumer Products. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, Chapek helped add Star Wars toys and items to Disney's products. This made Disney the world's largest company for licensing ideas and characters. In 2013, Chapek made a deal with Hasbro. Hasbro paid Disney to continue making Marvel toys. They also agreed to pay for future Star Wars products.
In 2014, Chapek launched Disney Imagicademy. This was a set of apps for tablets and phones. They offered high-quality learning games for children. This was Disney's first big step into the learning-app market. Chapek said he started this because parents found it hard to find good learning apps.
Managing Parks and Resorts
On February 23, 2015, Chapek became chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He took over from Thomas O. Staggs. Chapek immediately worked on finishing Shanghai Disneyland. It opened in 2016 and had over 11 million visitors in its first year. This project helped Chapek build a strong reputation with CEO Bob Iger and Disney's board.
He also oversaw the opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom in 2017. Chapek also managed building and opening the new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge lands. These lands are at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Disney said Galaxy's Edge is "the most immersive land we have ever built." It has themed restaurants, shops, and characters. Disney spent a lot of money on these large lands.
As chairman of Parks and Resorts, Chapek invested over $24 billion into the theme parks. This included attractions, hotels, and cruise ships. This amount was more than Disney spent to buy Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm combined.
In 2017, after Parks and Resorts made more money, many people thought Chapek might become the next Disney CEO.
In March 2018, Disney changed how its divisions were organized. This was to get ready for the launch of Disney+. Chapek was given back the consumer products divisions, including the Disney Stores. He also kept his duties for all the parks and resorts. CEO Bob Iger said Chapek was the "perfect leader" for these combined teams. This made people think even more that Chapek would be Iger's successor.
In August 2019, Chapek announced a plan to open 25 mini Disney Store shops inside some Target department stores. Chapek said that people who buy Disney products often shop at Target. This deal helped Disney reach more customers outside of traditional malls. These mini-shops are about 750 square feet. They are located near Target's kids' clothing and toy sections. They offer over 450 items, including many that were only available at Disney stores before.
On May 18, 2020, Chapek announced that Josh D'Amaro would take his place as chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
Becoming Chief Executive Officer
In February 2020, Bob Iger chose Chapek to be the new chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company. Iger kept control over creative decisions and stayed as executive chairman until the end of 2021. Many Disney employees were surprised by this choice. Some thought Kevin Mayer would be the next CEO. In April 2020, Chapek joined Disney's board of directors.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chapek focused on reopening Disney's theme parks. In May 2020, Shanghai Disneyland opened with fewer guests allowed each day. Chapek called this a "baby step" but was happy that tickets were selling out. He planned to slowly increase the number of visitors.
Chapek said that when Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020, both employees and guests would need to have temperature checks, wear face masks, and keep a safe distance. He promised to work with local governments and health experts to open the parks safely. He also said the first ride he would go on was Pirates of the Caribbean. By July 2021, Walt Disney World had mostly ended its mask rules and temperature checks. It was also allowing more guests. Fireworks shows returned to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland that same month. Under Chapek's leadership, Disney managed through the COVID-19 pandemic. The money Disney made from its parks, experiences, and products more than doubled in early 2022.
In October 2020, Chapek talked about Disney's choice to focus on streaming media, like Disney+. Several movies, such as Mulan and Soul, were released on Disney+ instead of in movie theaters. Mulan cost extra to watch on Disney+, while Soul was available at no extra cost.
Florida's Parental Rights in Education Law
In 2022, Florida passed a law about parental rights in education. Reports showed that Disney had given money to the lawmakers who supported this bill. This seemed to go against Disney's image of supporting LGBT+ people. Chapek first said that company statements do not change much and can cause more problems.
Many people, including Disney's creative staff, criticized Chapek for not taking a public stand. He then changed his mind. He said the company was against the bill from the start. He also said Disney would donate to LGBT+ groups. One group, the Human Rights Campaign, refused Disney's money until the company took "meaningful action." The next day, Chapek apologized. He announced that Disney would stop giving money to all political parties in Florida. He also said Disney would work to better support LGBT+ causes. This situation is thought to be one reason why the Florida government later tried to change a special law related to Disney.
Leaving Disney
In June 2022, Chapek signed a new contract to stay as Disney CEO for three more years. However, on November 20, 2022, Bob Iger was brought back as CEO. Disney insiders said Iger was asked to return the day before. Chapek was told on Sunday night. It was later reported that Iger had often made Chapek's job harder during his time as CEO. The Disney board said that Disney's financial report from earlier that month was not good. They believed Iger was the best person to lead Disney at that time.
Chapek's exit package was expected to be worth $23.4 million. This included the rest of his CEO salary and a pension.
Personal Life
Chapek has been married to his wife Cynthia since 1980. They have three children, including Marvel Studios producer Brian Chapek. They also have four grandchildren. He lives in Westlake Village, California.
