In a move that signals a new era for the entertainment giant, Disney announced that Josh D’Amaro, who has overseen its parks and cruise operations since 2020, will take the helm as chief executive officer starting in March. The transition will be formalized at the company’s annual meeting on March 18, when D’Amaro will also join Disney’s board of directors. Bob Iger, who returned to the company in 2022 after a brief hiatus, will step down from the board at the end of the year.
Since joining Disney in 1998, D’Amaro has grown the Experiences unit into a powerhouse, recently reporting record revenue of $10 billion—nearly 40 percent of the company’s $26 billion quarterly total. Operating income from the unit alone was $3.3 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, underscoring its outsized contribution to Disney’s bottom line.
The appointment followed a lengthy search for a successor to Iger, who had led the company for 15 years before a turbulent period under former CEO Bob Chapek. Chapek, who had also steered the parks business before taking the top job, was named CEO in February 2020 just weeks before the COVID‑19 pandemic forced travel to a halt.
Board members approved the decision unanimously, a testament to the confidence in D’Amaro’s blend of creative vision and operational rigor. “Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the right person to become our next CEO,” Iger said in a statement. “He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences, paired with the rigor and attention to detail required to deliver some of our most ambitious projects.”
Alongside D’Amaro’s elevation, Disney announced that Dana Walden, co‑chair of its entertainment unit, will become the company’s president and chief creative officer, reporting directly to the new CEO. Walden, along with entertainment co‑chair Alan Bergman and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, were also in consideration for the role, but the board chose to keep them in their current positions.
With this leadership change, Disney is poised to continue weaving its storytelling legacy across parks, films, sports, and streaming, while sharpening its focus on delivering immersive experiences that keep audiences coming back.
