Well, that was fast.
Following reports over the weekend that Disney CEO Bob Iger could exit the company before the end of the year, The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors announced on Tuesday that Josh D’Amaro, Disney experiences chairman, is the company’s new CEO. The move is effective at the company’s annual meeting on March 18, 2026.
D’Amaro has been at Disney for nearly three decades, and ahead of the appointment, led the company’s largest business segment, with $36 billion in annual revenue, according to the company. During his career at Disney, he has held leadership roles across the company in the U.S. and internationally, spanning finance, marketing, business strategy, and operations. His past titles include president of Disneyland Resort and president of Walt Disney World Resort.
In addition to the news, Dana Walden, who was also a contender for CEO, will become president and chief creative officer of The Walt Disney Company. Walden takes the role after serving as co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, leading Disney’s entertainment media, news, and content businesses globally, including Disney’s streaming businesses. The move is also effective March 18, with Walden reporting to D’Amaro.
“Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the right person to become our next CEO,” Iger said in a statement. “He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences, paired with the rigor and attention to detail required to deliver some of our most ambitious projects.”
Iger will serve as a senior advisor and member of Disney’s Board until his retirement on Dec. 31, 2026. The executive served as Disney CEO from 2005 to 2020; however, he returned to the company in 2022, replacing Bob Chapek.
During Disney’s earnings call on Monday, Iger alluded to his reported exit, noting that he was “incredibly proud” of the company’s accomplishments since his return. Though he noted in the call that he didn’t want to get too nostalgic, Iger also gave some advice to his eventual successor, saying that “preserving the status quo is a mistake.”
“I’m certain that my successor will not do that, so they’ll be handed a good hand in terms of the strength of the company, a number of opportunities to grow, and also the exhortation that, in a world that changes, you also have to continue to change and evolve,” Iger said.
