NATIONWIDE – Disney CEO Bob Iger has been named Time's Businessperson of the Year for 2019.
- Bob Iger is Time's Businessperson of the Year
- Iger is CEO of The Walt Disney Company
- 2019 a big year for Disney which made billions at the box office
The magazine made the announcement Wednesday morning.
Iger, who has been at the helm of the Walt Disney Company since 2005, oversaw several big milestones for the company.
"And in a year when the tide has shifted against Big Business, Big Media and Big Tech, Iger has transformed his enormous media company into a gargantuan media and tech business while ensuring the Walt Disney Co.'s products remain widely beloved," Time said in its write-up of the 68-year-old CEO.
In 2019, Iger oversaw the launch of the company's new streaming service Disney+, which introduced audiences to The Mandalorian's breakout character, Baby Yoda.
This year, Disney also became the first studio to make over $10 billion at the worldwide box office in a calendar year. With mega-hit movies like Captain Marvel ($1.13B), Avenger: Endgame ($2.79B), The Lion King ($1.65B), and Toy Story 4 ($1.07B), it's not hard to see how.
And, also under Iger, Disney opened Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the billion-dollar Star Wars-themed expansions at Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.
Iger made the list that included other "persons of the year" in various categories, including teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg as Person of the Year, Lizzo as Entertainer of the Year, and the U.S. Women's Soccer Team as Athlete of the Year.
