Josh D’Amaro Succeeds Bob Iger as Disney’s New CEO
The Walt Disney Company announced on February 3, 2026, that theme parks chief Josh D’Amaro will succeed Bob Iger as Chief Executive Officer. The transition will be effective at the company’s annual meeting on March 18, 2026, ending years of speculation about Disney’s leadership succession.
D’Amaro, 54, currently serves as Chairman of Disney Experiences, the company’s largest business segment with $36 billion in annual revenue in fiscal year 2025 and 185,000 employees worldwide. A 28-year Disney veteran who joined the company in 1998, D’Amaro has led the segment to new heights financially and creatively. He is the architect of the largest global expansion in Disney Experiences history—a roughly $60 billion, decade-long investment including:
- New cruise ships
- Domestic expansions
- A planned resort in Abu Dhabi
Disney’s board of directors, led by chairman James Gorman, unanimously approved D’Amaro’s appointment on Monday afternoon. Bob Iger, 74, who has led Disney for nearly two decades across two stretches as CEO, will transition to serving as senior advisor and board member until his retirement on December 31, 2026.
Dana Walden, who oversees Disney’s television and streaming units and was considered the other leading contender for the CEO role, has been promoted to a newly created position of President and Chief Creative Officer, reporting directly to D’Amaro. The appointment comes during a turbulent time for the entertainment industry, with legacy studios grappling with declining broadcast viewership, the rise of generative AI, and regulatory scrutiny.
Source: CNBC