Disney has named Disney Experiences Chair Josh D’Amaro as The Walt Disney Company’s new Chief Executive Officer, taking over from current Disney CEO Bob Iger from 18 March 2026 and bringing 28 years’ nous at the House of Mouse to the top role.
Iger will serve as a senior advisor and board member before retiring at the end of the year. The longtime Disney CEO led the company to business and creative success across two decades to 2020, returning in 2022 to spearhead a strategic transformation of the company.
The announcement cinches a closely watched succession plan for Disney CEO as entertainment and travel industry pundits circled the race contenders.
As head of the company’s largest business segment with USD$36 billion in annual revenue in FY25 and 185,000 Cast Members and employees worldwide, D’Amaro is the architect of the largest global expansion in Disney Experiences’ history.
He served as Chair of the Disney Experiences segment since 2020, and was President of Walt Disney World Resort prior to that. He joined the company in 1998 at Disneyland Resort.
As Disney Experiences Chair, D’Amaro oversaw 12 theme parks and 57 resort hotels worldwide with plans for a new park in Abu Dhabi.
His responsibilities included Disney Signature Experiences, including Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, Disney Institute and Storyliving by Disney, as well as overseeing Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Consumer Products.
The Walt Disney Company Board Chair James Gorman said D’Amaro led Disney Experiences to new heights financially, creatively and in guest satisfaction.
“Josh D’Amaro possesses that rare combination of inspiring leadership and innovation, a keen eye for strategic growth opportunities and a deep passion for the Disney brand and its people – all of which make him the right person to take the helm as Disney’s next CEO,” he said.
“Josh has demonstrated a strong vision for the company’s future and a deep understanding of the creative spirit that makes Disney unique in an ever-changing marketplace.”
Iger added: “Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the right person to become our next CEO.“
“He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences, paired with the rigour and attention to detail required to deliver some of our most ambitious projects. His ability to combine creativity with operational excellence is exemplary, and I am thrilled for Josh and the company.”
Concurrently, Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden has been named President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company, also effective from 18 March.
In her newly created role, Walden will ensure that storytelling and creative expression across every audience touchpoint consistently reflect the brand, engage audiences at scale and advance core business objectives, while driving enterprise-wide initiatives and translating vision into action.
Find out more at thewaltdisneycompany.com
