Bob Weis, former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, joined worldwide architecture and design firm Gensler as global leader of immersive experience design in January 2023. A visionary within the entertainment industry, he has over 30 years of leadership in creating, designing, and developing some of Disney’s most iconic projects around the globe.
Standout projects from his time with Disney include Hollywood Studios’ iconic Tower of Terror attraction in Florida, as well as Tokyo DisneySea, in Japan and Shanghai Disney Resort in China.
Talking to blooloop about his new role with Gensler, he said:
“I came to Gensler because there isn’t another place where there are 50 plus offices around the world, with talented people in every one of them. Every day I talk to somebody from Costa Rica or Japan, or Paris or Dubai. It’s a rich, seamless, global network of talent.
“I’m always excited about talent and about different kinds of problems. I’m starting this immersive and entertainment practice with Gensler, and we’ve got some new clients who are going deeply into new kinds of immersive projects. It’s exciting.
“I’ve been the luckiest person in the world, I think, to have great experiences with Disney and great experiences with non-profits outside. And now, I have a chance to see the world a different way, to discover what the post-COVID experience world is going to be.”
“If you told me I could only nominate one person for this list, I would choose Bob – and I’m sure I would not be alone,” said one person who nominated Weis. “The list of those whom Bob has inspired or mentored is vast. Bob is one of the few people whom I call a “visionary”. I believe that in his new role at Gensler he is poised to have an even greater impact, bringing his unique brand of creative insight to the broader world of immersive. Having seen Bob at work for many years, I can tell you that his ability to marry the strategic, creative and practical is unmatched. There is simply no one else like him!”