Disney names parks chief Josh D’Amaro to succeed CEO Bob Iger

The Walt Disney Co. named parks chief Josh D’Amaro to succeed Bob Iger as CEO of the entertainment company.

D’Amaro, who currently oversees Disney’s theme parks and dozens of its resort hotels, will take the helm of the company on March 18, 2026, the company said Tuesday. He will lead a company with $36 billion in annual revenue and around 185,000 employees worldwide, at a time when it is struggling to attract foreign visitors to its theme parks.

The decision on Disney’s next CEO comes nearly four years after Iger returned to the company following the departure of his previous successor, Bob Chapek, after a period marked by clashes, missteps and weaker financial performance. 

When he returned as CEO in 2022, Iger was tasked with cutting costs and restructuring Disney’s business to revive the company’s finances. Part of that effort included slashing 7,000 jobs in 2023, about 3% of the media and entertainment company’s global workforce.

“We won’t have the same drama we had last time, that I can assure you,” Disney Chairman James Gorman said Tuesday in an interview on CNBC.

Disney formed a succession planning committee in 2023 to explore and vet candidates to replace Iger.

In Tuesday’s statement, Iger said that D’Amaro has “an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences.” 

D’Amaro, 54, has held multiple roles at Disney since joining the company in 1998, including in finance, business strategy, marketing, creative development and operations. 

D’Amaro served as president of Walt Disney World Resort before stepping in as chairman of Disney Experiences in 2020, spearheading efforts at the company’s theme parks, cruises and resorts division. He is also in charge of Disney’s licensing business, which includes its partnership with Epic Games.

In addition to D’Amaro’s appointment, Disney said Tuesday it is tapping Dana Walden, the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, to serve as president and chief creative officer of Disney, effective March 18.