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Iger will receive the award from the Producers Guild of America (PGA) in recognition of his contribution to the entertainment industry.
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Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company / Getty
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Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company will be the 2014 recipient of the PGA’s annual Milestone Award, regarded by those in the entertainment industry as one of its most prestigious honors.
Bob Iger will be presented with his award at the 25th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony to be held on January 19, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
On hearing the news of his award, Iger hastened to spread the praise pointing out that he had enjoyed the great privilege of working with some of the world’s best storytellers, and is constantly inspired by the creativity and innovation at Disney, where thousands of people around the world work together in harmony to tell great stories in spectacular new ways. “For 90 years, Disney has redefined what’s possible and raised the standard of excellence in entertainment. We continue to strive to live up to that legacy, and it’s very rewarding to see our efforts recognized in such a meaningful way by the Producers Guild of America.” Iger summed up.
As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger has marshaled the company to record performance and shareholder value, whilst overseeing the successful acquisition of Pixar in 2006; Marvel in 2009; and Lucas film and within bringing the incredible Star Wars franchise to Disney in 2012.
Previous recipients of the Producers Guild of America award have been James Cameron, Walt Disney, Clint Eastwood, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ron Meyer and Steven Spielberg, with the most recent winners, in 2013, being brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein.
Robert Iger was born and raised in Long Island, New York. After successfully completing high school Iger graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Television and Radio from the Roy H. Park School of Communications in Ithaca, New York.
Bob Iger began his career in the entertainment industry modestly, and the role of a weatherman for a local television station in Ithaca. In 1974, at the age of twenty-three, Iger went to work for the American Broadcasting Company, initially as a studio supervisor with special responsibility for the daily production of a number of soap-operas as well as some of the station’s more popular game shows.
In 1976 Bob Iger offered to responsibility was transferred to ABC sports division, which in the following year also took on the responsibility for heading the news department under the tutelage of station veteran, Roone Arledge. Arledge took the young man under his wing and thanks to his ability and desire to succeed Iger rapidly climbing the corporate ladder at ABC eventually reaching his first management position, while still in his early thirties, as vice president for ABC Sports in charge of program planning and development.
Iger’s star continued to ascend until he reached the role of president for the ABC Network Television Group, a title that he held between the years 1993 and 1994. In 1994, Bob Iger was promoted to president and CEO of ABC’s parent company, Capital Cities/ABC.
During his time in charge at ABC Iger, was responsible for the development of some of the most popular television series of the nineties, including comedies such as America’s Funniest Home Videos, Doogie Howser, M.D. , Home Improvement and The Drew Carey Show as well as the iconic “ Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” quiz show to the network.
Two years later Iger’s relationship with the Walt Disney Company was to begin when they acquired Capital Cities/ABC., immediately renaming it ABC, Inc., with Iger remaining a president of the company until 1999.
In early 1999 Iger was appointed to the role of president of Walt Disney International, the division in charge of overseeing Disney’s international operations, while still remaining as chairman of the ABC Group.
The following year Iger continued his move onwards and upwards being named as president of Disney in 2000, five years later replacing Michael Eisner in his role as CEO
In October 2011, Iger was appointed to the role of chairman at Disney to replace John Pepper, who retired from the board in March 2012.
In June of the same year, Steven Spielberg, in his role as founder of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, appointed Iger as an Ambassador for Humanity, the Institute’s highest honor. Bob Iger received the award in recognition of his support for the Institute’s work as well as his longtime efforts in philanthropy, and his leadership role in corporate citizenship.
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