Disney CEO Bob Iger passing baton to Josh D'Amaro. What to expect.
The Walt Disney Company announced that Josh D’Amaro will become its next CEO on March 18, succeeding Bob Iger and ending years of succession speculation. D’Amaro, who has led Disney’s Experiences division since 2020, becomes the second parks chief to rise to the top role.
Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden will take on a newly created role as president and chief creative officer. Iger will remain a senior adviser and board member through the end of his contract.
The last parks chief to become Disney CEO was Bob Chapek. He ran the company through the pandemic and a high-profile fight over what critics called Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, before Iger returned to retake the role in 2022. Chapek only oversaw parks a handful of years before becoming CEO.
Who is Josh D'Amaro?
D'Amaro began his Disney career at Disneyland in 1998 and went on to serve as the park's president, then Walt Disney World's president, before chairing Disney Experiences. He still calls himself a cast member, like those reporting to him.
In his latest role, he's overseen Disney parks worldwide, including plans for a new park in Abu Dhabi, which he told USA TODAY will be among the most technologically advanced parks Disney has built. D'Amaro's purview also includes Disney Consumer Products, Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Signature Experiences, which encompass Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, Storyliving by Disney and more. Disney notes he's also led teams in finance, business strategy, marketing, creative development and operations.
In an exclusive interview with Disney-owned ABC News after the announcement, Iger said his successor must carefully balance legacy and innovation, while appreciating Disney's unique position in the world. "Disney is not just another company," he said. "Disney really is a cultural institution that has touched hundreds of millions of people for now over 100 years."
D'Amaro has previously spoken with USA TODAY about striking that balance with guest-centered matters like price increases, attraction closures and other changes fans don't always welcome with the same gusto as his parks-related announcements from 2024's D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
"We have cast members all across this company, including me, who care very much about making sure that we find a balance between pushing the boundaries on what is new and also preserving the legacy and memory that so many of our fans have here in the parks," he told USA TODAY at the time.
He said he wants to hear from guests and has shown how on frequent park visits, including a Make-A-Wish event at Disneyland's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in the fall of 2024. D'Amaro serves on the national board of Make-A-Wish, his niece was a Wish Kid herself, and Disney is the largest single wish-grantor in the world, but as he crouched down to speak to Wish families and listen to their stories one-on-one that night, his attention was squarely focused on them. Walking through the park later, he was repeatedly stopped by guests who wanted to say hi or snap a selfie. He welcomed each one with a warm smile and an open ear. All along the way, he also thanked cast members, taking time to ask them about their roles and days, as if he had all the time in the world.
Sitting beside Iger in the ABC interview, D'Amaro expressed that same commitment to the creative side of Disney, even as the company embraces and invests in artificial intelligence. "The reason this company is so special is because of how creative we are and the human beings that are generating that creativity. In my mind, that never gets replaced," D'Amaro said, calling AI a tool for super-powering creativity. "This is when the Walt Disney Company thrives, when technology intersects with brilliant people and creativity, and we're in that moment right now."
(This story as updated to add new information.)