Board Announces Leadership Transition
The Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company unanimously chose Josh D’Amaro to be the new CEO. The appointment will take effect on March 18, 2026, at the Annual Meeting. After a planned transition, he will take over as CEO from Robert A. Iger, who has been in charge for a long time.
The Board also plans to name D’Amaro as director right after the meeting. Chairman James Gorman praised D’Amaro’s vision for strategic growth and his ability to lead. Directors agreed that he is very well-prepared to lead Disney’s global growth.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter/Website
D’Amaro’s History with Disney Experiences
D’Amaro is in charge of Disney Experiences, which is the company’s biggest business area. The division made $36 billion in sales each year in FY2025. It has about 185,000 Cast Members and employees around the world.
He was in charge of Disney Experiences’ biggest global growth ever. The segment made more money and made guests happier under his leadership. His time in office improved both creative execution and operational excellence.
Dana Walden Takes on a Historic Creative Role
Along with D’Amaro’s hiring, Dana Walden takes over as President and Chief Creative Officer. This is the first time Disney has created this creative role for the whole company. Starting on March 18, Walden will report directly to D’Amaro.
As Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, she was in charge of the company’s global content and streaming businesses. She is now in charge of making sure that all of the audience’s touchpoints tell the same story. The job combines creative strategy with execution priorities across the whole company.
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Iger’s Legacy And Ongoing Advisory Role
Robert A. Iger will still be a Senior Advisor and Board member. He will leave the company on December 31, 2026. During the succession process, Iger has helped train people to be leaders within the company.
Since coming back in 2022, he has led a full strategic transformation. His top priorities were to make film studios stronger, streaming more profitable, ESPN’s digital presence stronger, and Disney Experiences grow. The company is now ready to move on to the next chapter with a stronger base.
Strategic Expansion And Franchise Growth
D’Amaro has been in charge of 12 theme parks and 57 resort hotels around the world. Plans for growth include building a new theme park in Abu Dhabi. He is also in charge of Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Cruise Line.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Avengers Campus are two of the most recent projects. Monsters, Inc., Avatar, Cars, and Villains expansions are some of the new things that are coming out. These projects are the biggest growth in Magic Kingdom history.
Succession Planning And Governance
In January 2023, the Board set up a special committee to plan for succession. The committee carefully looked at candidates from both inside and outside the organization over a period of several years. The group is made up of experienced Fortune 500 directors who know how to plan for the future.
D’Amaro and Walden went through a lot of training and coaching from outside executives. Iger gave a lot of guidance during the whole evaluation process. Governance oversight made sure that everything was in line with long-term strategic goals and stability.
Experienced Leadership Supports New Era
Senior executives from all over the company will help D’Amaro. Alan Bergman is still the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, and James Pitaro is still the chairman of ESPN. Their continued leadership encourages operational discipline and continuity.
The executive team has successfully led the company through big changes and business cycles. Deep institutional knowledge helps with both creative and financial goals. D’Amaro leads Disney into 2026 with a strong position for continued global growth.
