Disney Just Confirmed Its Next CEO

We’ve been waiting for this Disney news for YEARS.

Disney has revealed the company’s new CEO, who will take over for Bob Iger. Josh D’Amaro, current Chairman of Disney Experiences, will act as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company!

The Disney executive will take over as of March 18th — the same date as the Annual Shareholder Meeting. Immediately following that meeting, the Board also intends to appoint D’Amaro as a director.

James Gorman, Chairman of The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors, said, “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.”

He continued saying, “Josh has demonstrated a strong vision for the company’s future and a deep understanding of the creative spirit that makes Disney unique.”

Current CEO Bob Iger also commented on the succession news: “Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the right person to become our next CEO. 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.”

Dana Walden, current Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment and another person who was in the running for Disney CEO, has been named President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company. This will also go into effect on March 18th.

Disney says “Walden will report directly to D’Amaro and will ensure that storytelling and creative expression across every audience touchpoint consistently reflect the brand, engage audiences at scale, and advance core business objectives.”

Iger also commented on Walden’s announcement: “Given that creativity is at the heart of everything Disney does, she is a wonderful choice to serve in this new leadership role. In the years since Dana joined Disney, she has accumulated great knowledge about the many facets of our businesses and brands, and is very well prepared to be President and Chief Creative Officer.”

By way of background, Bob Iger is the current Disney CEO. He initially served as CEO and Chairman from 2005 to 2020. He stayed on as Executive Chairman of the Board through 2021, and then ultimately returned as CEO in November of 2022.

His contract upon his return was only supposed to be for 2 years, but it was later extended so he would remain on as CEO through 2026.

The search for Iger’s replacement has been a focus of the Board since Iger’s return. Disney has created a committee focused on finding the next CEO. Iger was brought back with the directive to work with the Board to find the next CEO. Disney has previously said that the next CEO would be named in early 2026.