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. He joined the board of directors for a company called Masimo in 2024.
Before becoming CEO, Chapek worked at Disney for 26 years. He started in the home entertainment part of the company. Later, he became the Chairman of Parks & Resorts. Chapek's time as CEO ended on November 20, 2022. He was replaced by Bob Iger, who was the CEO before him.
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Early Life and School
Robert Chapek was born in 1959 in a suburb of Chicago. His parents, Marie and Bernard W. Chapek, both worked. He grew up in Hammond, Indiana. His family often visited Walt Disney World for their 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.
Chapek's Career Journey
Before joining Disney, Chapek worked for the H. J. Heinz Company. He helped manage their brands. He also worked in advertising for J. Walter Thompson. In 1993, he started working for The Walt Disney Company. He stayed there until 2022. In 2024, he joined the board of directors for Masimo, a company that makes medical technology.
Working at Disney
Home Entertainment Work
Chapek started at Disney in 1993. He was the marketing director for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. At that time, this part of the company focused on VHS tapes. Former CEO Michael Eisner said Chapek was always an executive who would rise. He knew how to grow the business. He also knew how to change with the market.
Chapek helped Disney's home entertainment division 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. In 2009, he became president of distribution for Walt Disney Studios. Many people in the home entertainment industry see him as a big success story.
Leading Consumer Products
In September 2011, Chapek became president of Disney Consumer Products. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, Chapek added Star Wars products to Disney's licensing. This made Disney the world's biggest licensor of ideas and characters. In 2013, Chapek made a deal with Hasbro. Hasbro paid Disney $80 million to keep making Marvel toys. They also agreed to pay Disney up to $225 million for future Star Wars products.
In 2014, Chapek launched Disney Imagicademy. This was a group of apps for tablets and smartphones. They were designed to give children fun learning games. This was Disney's first big step into the learning-app market. Chapek said he started this because parents told his team it was hard to find good learning apps.
Managing Parks and Resorts
On February 23, 2015, Chapek was named 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 park's opening helped Chapek build a strong reputation with 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 their most immersive land ever. It has themed restaurants, shops, and characters walking around. Disney spent a lot of money on these lands.
As chairman of Parks and Resorts, Chapek invested over $24 billion. This money went into theme parks, attractions, hotels, and cruise ships. The New York Times noted that this spending was more than Disney spent to buy Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm combined.
By late 2017, Parks and Resorts had a 14% increase in income. Many in the media thought Chapek might become the next Disney CEO.
In March 2018, Disney changed its divisions to get ready for Disney+. Chapek was given back the consumer products divisions. This included the Disney Stores. He also kept his duties for all the parks and resorts. CEO Bob Iger said Chapek had a great record of success. 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. These would be inside certain Target department stores in the United States. Chapek said that people who buy Disney products often shop at Target. This deal helped Disney expand beyond regular shopping malls. The Disney mini-shops are about 750 square feet. They are near Target's kids' clothing and toy sections. They sell over 450 items, including many that were only at Disney stores before.
On May 18, 2020, Chapek announced that Josh D'Amaro would take his place. D'Amaro became the new 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. He remained as executive chairman until the end of 2021. This was a surprise to many Disney employees. Many thought Kevin Mayer would be Iger's successor. In April 2020, Chapek joined the Walt Disney Company'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 said this was a "baby step." But he found it encouraging that tickets were selling out. Chapek promised to increase capacity slowly and carefully.
Chapek said that when Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020, guests and employees would need to check temperatures. They would also wear face masks and keep a safe distance. He said the company would work with local governments and health experts. He added that the first ride he would go on would be Pirates of the Caribbean. By July 2021, Walt Disney World had mostly ended its mask rule. They were also letting more people in. Fireworks shows returned at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland that same month. Under Chapek, Disney managed to get through the 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 decision to focus on streaming media. This included Disney+. Some movies, like Mulan and Soul, were not shown in theaters. Instead, they went straight to Disney+. Mulan cost extra to watch on Disney+. Soul was available at no extra cost.
Changes in Leadership
In June 2022, Chapek signed a new three-year contract. He was to remain as Disney CEO. However, on November 20, 2022, Iger returned as CEO. According to reports, Iger was asked to come back the day before. Chapek was told on Sunday night. The board said Disney's financial report from earlier that month was not good. They believed Iger was the best person to lead Disney.
The New York Times reported that Chapek seemed very happy during a conference call after the financial report. Chapek was also criticized for focusing on the success of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Investor Nelson Peltz later said these financial losses were due to Disney buying Fox in 2019.
Chapek received an exit package worth about $23.4 million. This included his remaining CEO salary and a pension. The pension was earned over his 29 years at Disney.
Personal Life
Chapek has been married to his wife Cynthia since 1980. They have three children and four grandchildren. One of their children, Brian Chapek, is a producer for Marvel Studios. Bob Chapek lives in Westlake Village, California.
Images for kids
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Bob Chapek in 2020
