Peter Rice has one of the longer resumes in the entertainment industry, but when his time at Walt Disney Co. came to an end it was over in seven minutes.
That’s how long it took Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek to fire the 55-year-old head of his TV division on Wednesday in what insiders said was a clash of styles at the world’s largest entertainment company.
The news of Rice’s departure, which came as a surprise to him and many others in Hollywood, underscores the unique culture at Disney, which is heavily reliant on group thinking and collaborative decision-making.