California Governor Gavin Newsom has named Disney Chairman Bob Iger to the state’s coronavirus business recovery task force.
In February, Bob Iger stepped down as the CEO The Walt Disney Company and named Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Bob Chapek as his successor. While Bob Iger was set to remain with the company as Executive Chairman until his contract expired, he has now taken an active role in assisting Chapek as Disney faces the pandemic.
As the business shutdown and social distancing measures reach the month-long point, states are starting to layout plans for the eventual recovery of their respective economies, which have been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Now, Governor Gavin Newsom has named Disney’s Bob Iger to California’s business recovery task force alongside notable figures such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
According to Newsom’s office, the task force will meet twice a month through the remainder of 2020 with the goal of helping the people of California recover as fast as possible from the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Co-chaired by former Democratic presidential candidate and billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, the task force currently consist of 70 members, including Disney’s Bob Iger.
Bob Iger’s appointment to the task force is just the latest impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on Disney. In addition to shutting down its theme parks, Disney was one of the many studios that decided to make certain titles available for digital rental or purchase early while postponing the theatrical debuts of others. Furthermore, Disney suspended or postponed production on several projects, including the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan & Wendy, the new Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel, the Home Alone reboot, Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, and Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley.
Stay tuned for the latest news on Bob Iger and Disney as it develops.
