The Walt Disney Company has ended its nearly three-year search for a successor to its legendary CEO, Bob Iger. Josh D’Amaro, a longtime company veteran who has led Disney’s theme park business since 2020, will step into Iger’s shoes after a unanimous board vote, the company announced today (Feb. 3). He will officially assume the role on March 18, when Disney is scheduled to hold its annual shareholder meeting, and will also join the company’s board.
The confirmation follows Iger’s hint at a “probable transition” during Disney’s quarterly earnings call yesterday, as well as reports from outlets like Bloomberg that D’Amaro’s appointment was imminent.
D’Amaro currently runs Disney’s most profitable division. In the most recent quarter ended Dec. 27, Disney’s experiences business, which includes its global theme parks, resorts, and cruise lines, generated a record $10 billion in revenue, accounting for 38 percent of the company’s total revenue. The division delivered 71 percent of Disney’s total operating profit.
D’Amaro, 54, joined Disney in 1998 at the Disneyland Resort. He has held a wide range of leadership roles, including chief financial officer of Disney Consumer Products Global Licensing, vice president of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, president of Disneyland Resort in California and president of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
In 2020, he was appointed chairman of Disney Experiences (formerly Disney Parks, Experiences and Products), reporting directly to Iger. In that role, D’Amaro oversaw a $60 billion expansion initiative launched in 2023 to grow attractions, cruise ships and guest experiences worldwide. He also played a key role in Disney’s $1.5 billion deal with Epic Games last year, which gave the company an equity stake in the maker of Fortnite.
D’Amaro is known for his hands-on leadership style, frequently visiting Disney parks and engaging directly with frontline employees and guests.
“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,” Disney Chairman James Gorman said in a statement today.
Still, D’Amaro’s appointment comes with a notable gap: he has no direct experience running a television or film business, an area where Disney continues to face challenges. While Disney’s streaming division has just turned profitable, its future remains uncertain amid intensifying competition and rising content costs.
“We’ve made huge progress turning the streaming business into a profitable business,” Iger said during yesterday’s earnings call. “When I came back three years ago, I had a tremendous amount that needed fixing. But anyone who runs a company also knows that it can’t be about fixing. It has to be about preparing a company for its future and really putting in place taking steps to create opportunities for growth.”
As CEO, D’Amaro will be tasked with expanding Disney’s streaming services, completing the rollout of a standalone ESPN platform, and forging partnerships that push Disney’s vast library of characters into new digital and interactive frontiers.
