Another Big Disney Executive Is Leaving The Company
Disney executive Arthur Bochner is the latest to leave the company.
Things over at Disney are getting about as wild as the shake-ups following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger or The CW’s purchase by Nexstar. With ex-CEO Bob Iger leaving and then returning to replace Bob Chapek, Variety reports that Disney’s next big departure will be Chapek’s ex-chief of staff, Arthur Bochner. As CEO Bob Iger begins to plan some huge changes for the corporate faces behind the house-of-mouse, it would seem as though Bochner is just the next in a long line of folks leaving the company.
Before August, Disney’s Arthur Bochner had served ex-CEO Bob Chapek as his speechwriter and most recently stepped into the position of vice president of strategic communications. The title change most likely came due to Chapek’s initial silence following the announcement of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill which angered employees who were hoping that Disney would take a larger and more vocal stance on the issue. When a statement was made, it was Arthur Bochner who was behind the write-up, but it was far too late for many staffers who couldn’t believe that it took their CEO so long to respond.
After taking over the reins last week, Bob Iger has already made several big decisions surrounding the future of the company. Before Disney fired Arthur Bochner, moves were made to remove Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution chairman Kareem Daniel from his position. Both Daniel and Bochner were major allies of Chapek’s with each serving as a member of his inner circle, making their firings all the more obvious.
While Disney may be giving Arthur Bochner the boot after nine years with the company, the businessman has a long list of credentials leading us to believe that he won’t be unemployed for very long. A communications specialist, Bochner worked for a time at Bloomberg after serving in a communications role at Citigroup. He also worked alongside George W. Bush and others in his administration in a slew of communication-centered roles and joined the National Republican Senatorial Committee as a speechwriter.
Beginning his tenure at the Walt Disney Company back in October 2013, Arthur Bochner was initially hired on as Senior Manager, Executive & Licensing Communications, Disney Consumer Products. He would quickly move through the ranks and take over the director, public affairs, and executive engagement role for Disney Parks Experiences and Products. Eventually, he would end up serving as Chapek’s chief of staff, a role he took over in March 2020.
As for the fate of Disney, with Arthur Bochner now out of the picture, his position is up for grabs. The job description for VP of strategic communications cites that the company is looking for someone to “set vision for new strategic communications” with “enhancing The Walt Disney Company’s reputation” at the top of the list. The position will “report to the Chief Communications Officer.”
Like Disney’s Arthur Bochner, Bob Chapek rose through the ranks, becoming the company’s CEO after holding jobs in the Parks and Resorts division. Unfortunately, he was ill-prepared for his big takeover, leading to a bumpy road during his time as CEO. Almost three years after he was instated, Chapek was replaced by his predecessor Bob Iger.
