A new CEO of Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) has been named: Josh D'Amaro set to take over for outgoing CEO Bob Iger in March 2026.
Here are the details and a look at five things you might not know about D'Amaro.
Disney Names New CEO
Disney announced that its board of directors unanimously selected current Disney Experiences Chairman D'Amaro to be the next CEO of the company.
D'Amaro will take over the CEO role on March 18, 2026, from Iger. D'Amaro is expected to become a director after the meeting on March 18, 2026.
Joining Disney in 1998, D'Amaro has 28 years with the company, serving in various roles and currently the head of the company's largest business segment.
"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," Disney Chairman James Gorman said.
D'Amaro said he was grateful to Disney's board of directors for the selection and for believing in his ability to lead the company.
"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," D'Amaro said.
Concurrent with D'Amaro's appointment, Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, has been named president and chief creative officer of The Walt Disney Company, also effective March 18.
Five Things You Might Not Know About Josh D'Amaro
1. Various Roles at Disney: Since 1998, D'Amaro has served in multiple roles at Disney, including the most recent role of chairman of the Disney Experiences segment since 2020. Other past job titles include president of Walt Disney World Resort and president of Disneyland Park.
A leader for theme parks and consumer products, D'Amaro has been one of the key figures in some of Disney's most notable growth items in recent years, including partnering with Epic Games to create a Disney universe within Fortnite, building out new Star Wars, Marvel and Monsters, Inc. themed areas in theme parks, the launch of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom and more.
2. Favorite Ride: For someone who has spent so many years in Disney theme parks, it might be impossible to pick a favorite ride. For D'Amaro he was asked this question at South by Southwest by the Austin Chronicle.
D'Amaro highlighted newer rides and attractions like Rise of the Resistance and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, but ultimately picked one of the classics: Peter Pan's Flight.
"My father was a big Disney fan. He went on this attraction, and he was stunned by the sense of flying. I remember him telling the family as we were making our way to Disneyland, ‘Kids, you are not going to believe what this feels like,'" D'Amaro said.
D'Amaro said the ride reminds him of family moments and that when he has spare time that's the ride he goes on.
3. Make-A-Wish America National Board of Directors: D'Amaro was named to the National Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish America in 2023. Make-A-Wish and Disney have partnered for decades and helped to grant over 170,000 wishes in the last 45 years.
"Both Disney and Make-A-Wish understand what a positive impact hope, imagination and happiness can have on the lives of seriously ill children," D'Amaro said in 2023. "It's an honor to represent the thousands of Disney cast members around the world who create magic and help make wishes come true every day for these amazing families."
4. Almost Became a Sculptor: D'Amaro attended Skidmore College, a private liberal arts college in New York, with plans to become a sculptor. Speaking to students at Georgetown University in 2025, D'Amaro shared that he had a moment during his sophomore year working on a 12-foot sculpture of a human figure reaching toward the sky at two in the morning. The future Disney executive told Georgetown students that he realized during making the sculpture that he might not be able to ever support a family as an artist.
D'Amaro later transferred to Georgetown University to pursue business administration, giving up on his dream of sculpting.
"The moment you say, ‘I don't know,' is one of the most freeing, liberating, invigorating feelings you can have," D'Amaro told Georgetown students.
5. Job at Gillette Before Disney: After graduating with a bachelor's degree in business administration from Georgetown University, D'Amaro worked in the finance department for razor company Gillette at the company's Boston headquarters. The job lasted for around four to five years before D'Amaro eventually applied for a strategy job with Disney in 1998.
The rest, as they say, is history, with D'Amaro taking a role at Disney in 1998 and never looking back.
Photo: James Gorman, Josh D’Amaro, Dana Walden and Bob Iger, courtesy Walt Disney Co.
