Disney Names Josh D’Amaro Next Chief Executive Officer, Succeeding Bob Iger
With Bob Iger set to depart the Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer later this year, the board has announced that Josh D’Amaro, the current Chairman of Disney Experiences, will succeed him. On top of that, Dana Walden, the current TV chief and thought-to-be runner-up, was named President and Chief Creative Officer.
The two will start in their new jobs on March 18, the day of the company’s annual shareholder meeting. That day, D’Amaro will also be named to the company’s board. Iger “will continue to serve as Senior Advisor and a member of the Disney Board until his retirement from the company on December 31, 2026,” the company added in the announcement.
D’Amaro has been considered the frontrunner for a while. Bloomberg reported on Feb. 1 that he was close to being announced, but the sentiment across Hollywood has been, for a while, that he would prevail over his supposed rival Dana Walden, co-chairperson of Disney Entertainment. Disney named James Gorman chairman in late 2024 with the purpose that he would lead a search committee for the next CEO, to avoid the embarrassment of what happened the first time Iger stepped down. Gorman had previously overseen the succession at Morgan Stanley, where the runner-up to the CEO position also got a promotion within the company.
Josh D’Amaro and Dana Walden
D’Amaro joined Disney in 1998, and has been chairman of Disney Experiences since 2020. This includes overseeing Disney Parks, that is, 12 parks and 57 resort hotels. He is also leading the charge for the construction of a new theme park coming to Abu Dhabi. He also leads Disney Consumer Products and Walt Disney Imagineering, as well as the Disney Signature Experiences, which includes the Disney Cruise Line. He said in a statement on the announcement:
> “I am immensely grateful to the Board for entrusting me with leading a company that means so much to me and millions around the world. Disney’s strength has always come from our people and the creative excellence that defines our stories and experiences. There is no limit to what Disney can achieve, and I am excited to work with our teams across the company and brilliant creative partners to honor Disney’s remarkable legacy while continuing to innovate, grow, and deliver exceptional value for our consumers and shareholders. I also want to express my gratitude to Bob Iger for his generous mentorship, his friendship, and the profound impact of his leadership.”
Disney reasserted its position as a Parks and Experiences company with its quarterly earnings on Feb. 2, when it reported revenue in the first fiscal quarter of over $10 billion for the first time. And there is no stopping them. In 2023, they launched a 10-year $60 billion investment to build new and expand all of the existing parks, which D’Amaro has been in charge of. According to The New York Times, the division reports for 60% of the company’s profit.
Iger stepped down for the first time as CEO in early 2020, leaving Bob Chapek in charge. In late 2022, the board would reinstate him in one of the most dramatic executive shifts in recent years. Iger reportedly never let go of the job the first time and was openly criticizing Chapek’s decision-making for a while. On a November Sunday, he would finally accept coming back. Immediately, the board removed the carpet from underneath Chapek’s feet, calling him to tell him that he was out as he was to leave for an Elton John concert at Dodger Stadium that was to be livestreamed on Disney Plus. The New York Times and CNBC published detailed accounts of what happened leading up to that day, from the moment Iger left.
##### Miguel Fernandez
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Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is _The Lord of the Rings,_ but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as movies from Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
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Disney Names Josh D’Amaro Next Chief Executive Officer, Succeeding Bob Iger With Bob Iger set to depart the Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer later this year, the board has The post ...
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