NEW Report Reveals Disney Parks Chair as Frontrunner for CEO Bob Iger's Replacement

It’s been an interesting few years for leadership in The Walt Disney Company, and next year, things are about to heat up again.

Back in 2020, Bob Chapek was named CEO of Disney, but that didn’t last long. Bob Iger took BACK over the position in 2022 (after being the CEO prior to Chapek as well), but his contract only extends through 2026. That means that next year, one way or another, we will be hearing CEO news from Disney, and it’s looking like Disney could have its eye on the one and only Josh D’Amaro.

According to Bloomberg, when Disney announces its CEO in early 2026 (as previously reported to be the plan by The New York Times), it’s looking like Josh D’Amaro could be their number one pick. Based on a conversation someone (who remains anonymous) overheard at a breakfast spot in Santa Monica, CA, Bob Iger was chatting with another party when the topic of the CEO came up, and apparently, the conversation turned tense.

Bloomberg’s anonymous source overheard the following exchange, quoted exactly from the article to avoid any additional confusion or accidental twisting of words:

“His breakfast partner suggested Josh D’Amaro, head of Disney’s theme-parks division, ‘will do a great job when he’s appointed CEO.’ Iger bristled, according to a person who witnessed the exchange. He raised his voice, saying the board hadn’t made a decision and that he had ‘no idea’ where that notion was coming from.”

It’s also being reported that Disney executives, former executives, and industry leaders are looking at four internal candidates for CEO, but that D’Amaro appears to be the top pick. All the potential successors include D’Amaro, entertainment co-heads Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, and Jimmy Pitaro, who leads ESPN.

Josh D’Amaro has led Disney’s “Experiences” division since 2020, which has grown every year under his leadership. This includes the Disney parks, cruise ships, and consumer products. Through the nine months of the fiscal 2025 year, the division has risen to a profit in the division rose to $8.12 billion, which is more than a third of Disney’s TV, film, streaming, and sports operations combined.

After the hiring and then firing of Chapek in just two years, Disney’s main goal here appears to be avoiding past mistakes made. According to Disney executives who asked to remain unnamed, D’Amaro’s biggest competition currently is co-Chair Dana Walden, who primarily runs Disney’s TV business. However, Walden recently played a leading role in the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show, which caused an uproar of anger from the public — so much so that the show was brought back just days later, so it’s unclear if this recent event will affect these standings.

Additionally, what may continue to put D’Amaro ahead is his understanding of Disney culture, as spoken by “people with knowledge on the matter,” as he’s worked at Disney for three decades. In comparison, Walden has only worked at the company since 2019, when Disney acquired Fox. D’Amaro is also supposedly well-liked by those who run Disney’s film and TV units, as he interacts with them every day, and at a conference for Disney’s top 300 managers back in March, attendees said D’Amaro’s presentation “about the potential of the Experiences unit to bring Disney’s brand and entertainment properties to life” was especially inspiring.