Adam Silver on Shortlist to Take Over for Bob Iger as Disney CEO
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could be in for an even bigger job soon, if rumors are to be believed.
Disney has been in relative turmoil of late, as former CEO Bob Chapek was ousted after just a few years at the helm.
The Disney board replaced him with former CEO Bob Iger, whose previous tenure had been a mixture of parks-related success and a turn into far left, woke politics.
Now another executive with a history of woke political posturing may be next in line to take over the entertainment giant.
Iger is supposedly set to retire in two years, and according to Fox Business, Adam Silver is one of the favorites to replace him.
Silver "is a top candidate to replace Iger as chief executive officer, when he is set to retire in two years, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter," Fox reported.
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 14: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media during a press conference after the Board of Governors Meeting on September 14, 2022 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Silver a Good Choice for Disney?
Adam Silver presents an interesting potential option for Disney.
Obviously the NBA is a vastly different business than a film studio and theme park. But many corporations simply value experience running large organizations over specific experience in the field.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
The NBA is, at its core, an entertainment product. And similar to Disney's recent experience, Silver's NBA tenure has meant alienating a number of customers to appease the demands of progressive politics.
Disney's faced significant consequences of late, specifically the elimination of their special governing district in Florida.
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The NBA's also faced consequences, namely rapidly declining ratings.
Silver may have learned an uncomfortable lesson, that specifically telling huge numbers of potential customers that you don't want their business is a spectacularly bad idea.
That's a lesson Disney must learn too.
On the other hand, Disney's core product is its film studio. The movies they make feed into virtually every other aspect of its business.
Consumer products, theme park rides, Disney+; all of it relies on the film studio putting out quality entertainment.
Silver obviously has no experience and no training in producing movies and television shows, making him a riskier choice.
That said, it's a fascinating possibility and there certainly worse choices. But there may also be better ones, namely an executive with some background in the industry.