Disney appoints Josh D’Amaro as next CEO, setting March 18 transition from Bob Iger

Leadership change formalized after board vote

The Walt Disney Company has selected Josh D’Amaro to succeed Robert A. Iger as chief executive officer, with the leadership transition scheduled for the company’s annual meeting on March 18, 2026. The board elected D’Amaro in a unanimous vote held Monday and plans to add him to Disney’s board immediately following the annual meeting.

Iger, who returned to the CEO role in November 2022 after previously leading the company from 2005 to 2020, is expected to remain with Disney through the end of 2026, when his current contract expires.

Why D’Amaro: parks-led growth and operational scale

D’Amaro currently leads Disney Experiences, the segment that includes Disney’s theme parks and resorts, cruise operations, consumer products, and related businesses. Disney has described the unit as its largest business segment, reporting $36 billion in annual revenue in fiscal 2025 and a global workforce of roughly 185,000 employees and cast members. D’Amaro has been with Disney since 1998 and has held roles that include president of Walt Disney World Resort and president of Disneyland.

The appointment places a long-time parks executive at the top of a company that increasingly depends on predictable cash generation from experiences to fund capital-intensive investments and support content development across film, television, and streaming. D’Amaro’s portfolio has also included oversight of major multi-year expansion and investment plans across parks and cruise capacity.

Walden elevated to president and chief creative officer

Alongside the CEO announcement, Disney named Dana Walden as president and chief creative officer, effective March 18, 2026. Walden, previously co-chair of Disney Entertainment, will report to D’Amaro. The move reshapes the top of Disney’s leadership structure by pairing a parks-and-operations CEO with a senior executive positioned to coordinate creative decision-making across the company’s entertainment output.

Context: succession pressure after prior transition

Disney’s CEO selection comes after years of heightened focus on succession planning. Iger’s return in 2022 followed the company’s decision to remove former CEO Bob Chapek, who had been chosen as Iger’s successor in 2020. The latest transition timeline sets a defined handoff date and assigns clear senior roles to D’Amaro and Walden at the same board meeting.

• Effective date for CEO transition: March 18, 2026 (annual meeting).

• Incoming CEO: Josh D’Amaro, current chairman of Disney Experiences.

• New senior role: Dana Walden becomes president and chief creative officer, reporting to D’Amaro.

The board vote and fixed transition date formalize Disney’s next leadership chapter as the company continues balancing theme-park investment, entertainment output, and streaming strategy under a new executive team.