Following Disney’s surprise CEO shift back to popular former chief Bob Iger in November, it is clearly more popular in the industry to be on Team Iger than Team Chapek.
But is even the authoritative voice of Saint Iger, he of the crisp white cuffs and legendary prowess at massaging star egos, enough to cajole Disney’s rank and file back to the office? It’s not just a test of Iger’s command: He may well lead other companies to call their remote and hybrid staff back to their desks following an era of working unobserved in cozy pandemic pajamas.
Opinions remain mixed on the virtues of in-person work, but David Offenberg, an associate professor of finance at Loyola Marymount University who focuses on the entertainment business, told TheWrap that some in the industry have rearranged their lives during the pandemic to the point that it will be difficult to lure them back to the office.