"I've seen Michael's dark side, as anyone who's been around as long as I have has," said Haverty, who owns Disney stock, as does his firm. "Bob doesn't come across as the meanest kid on the block." This could be a drawback when, as Haverty said, "sometimes you need to be the villain" in negotiations.
In coming months, Haverty said, Iger will get to prove his negotiating mettle: Trying to craft a new "Monday Night Football" contract with the National Football League and an attempt to lure Pixar Animation Studios, which rejected Disney's most recent offer to continue distributing its films, back into the fold.
As president, Robert A. Iger was considered approachable by Disney employees and well-regarded on Wall Street.
(Tim Shaffer -- Reuters)
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In his recent book, "DisneyWar," author James B. Stewart portrays Iger as opposing the TV shows "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives," two hits that have helped turn around the struggling ABC network this season. It also contains an unflattering portrayal of Iger during a lunch with former ABC television executive Lloyd Braun, since fired.
Iger's interest in the largely untapped Asian market dates to at least his days at ABC, when he contracted with Disney to distribute ABC's Saturday morning cartoons in China.
"I went to Japan with Bob a few years ago, and it was thrilling to walk into TV company after TV company and have them say, 'Welcome back,' " Sweeney said.
Over the next six months, Iger will share chief executive duties with Eisner, the company said. In a letter yesterday, Eisner said he would not seek another term on the company's board nor will he pursue the chairmanship after Disney's chairman, George S. Mitchell, retires at the company's annual meeting in 2006.
"It is truly an honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of guiding this great company that occupies such an important place in the hearts and minds of millions the world over toward a very bright future," Iger said yesterday in a statement. No decision has been made as to whether the president's job would be filled after Iger becomes chief executive, Disney spokeswoman Zenia Mucha said.
Iger was named days after eBay Inc. chief executive and former Disney executive Meg Whitman dropped out of contention, Whitman's spokesman said, according to the Associated Press.
Mitchell said in conference call yesterday that Iger, who was the only internal candidate for the top job, has the right blend of continuity and openness to change that the job requires. And though he has worked closely with Eisner for the past five years, Iger is his own man, Mitchell said.
"Bob is not Michael," Mitchell said. He would not reveal how many outside candidates were assembled by executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc.
Responding to speculation that Eisner was overly involved in selecting his successor, Mitchell said that Eisner did not participate in any board meetings where Iger's candidacy was considered and sat in on only one meeting where an outside candidate was considered. Iger, also a director, recused himself from the process, Mitchell said.
