Disney Board of Directors OfficiallyAnnounceFollowing a unanimous vote, Josh D'Amaro, the current chairman of Disney Experiences, will succeed Bob Iger as the company's new CEO. This appointment will officially take effect at the annual shareholders' meeting on March 18th of this year. Bob Iger will become a senior advisor to the board until his retirement at the end of 2026, assisting with the transition.
The park division's profit leader rises to the top, Dana Walden promoted to Chief Creative Officer.
Josh D'Amaro, 54, is a 28-year veteran of Disney. He took over the Disney Experiences division (which encompasses theme parks, cruise lines, and consumer products) in 2020, and despite the impact of the pandemic, he successfully led the division to record profits.
Data shows that Disney's Experiences division contributed a staggering $360 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2025, and its operating income accounted for over 70% of the company's total profits. It can be said that it was the theme park business, managed by Josh D'Amaro, that provided Disney with a stable cash flow, thereby supporting its cash-burning streaming wars.
Meanwhile, another leading candidate—Dana Walden, the current co-chairman of Disney Entertainment—has been appointed as the company's president and chief creative officer. This is the first time in Disney's history that this position has been created. She will report directly to Josh D'Amaro and will be responsible for overseeing global film and television content, news, and streaming businesses, ensuring that Disney's core strength—its ability to tell stories—remains at a consistently high level.
Bob Iger: He has the perfect balance between creativity and operations.
Current CEO Bob Iger spoke highly of his successor, stating that Josh D'Amaro possesses an instinctive understanding of the Disney brand and the rigor and attention to detail required to execute the most ambitious projects.
In fact, Josh D'Amaro has been driving many major projects that combine technology and entertainment in recent years, including a collaboration with Epic Games to create a Disney universe in Fortnite, and the recently announced partnership with OpenAI.
Stock Price and Transformation Challenges
Although Josh D'Amaro enjoys immense popularity within the company and possesses a captivating personal charm similar to Bob Iger (even their fashion sense is alike), the challenges he faces after taking over are far from easy. Disney's stock price has fallen by approximately 9% over the past year, and over a five-year period, its market capitalization has evaporated by about 43%.
Therefore, how to salvage the declining television business, ensure the continued profitability of streaming platforms such as Disney+, and prove to Wall Street that Disney can regain its former growth momentum will be the first test for this new CEO.
Analysis of viewpoints
This personnel arrangement is actually a rather "prudent and smart" choice.
First, the selection of Josh D'Amaro indicates that the board values "monetization potential" and "brand loyalty." Unlike his predecessor, Bob Chapek, who was criticized for overemphasizing financial statements and neglecting creativity, Josh D'Amaro, despite his business school background, has long been engaged with employees (cast members) and fans on the front lines, possessing extremely high charisma on social media. He knows how to use the theme park experience to get fans to spend money without making them feel exploited (although ticket prices have still increased significantly).
Secondly, promoting Dana Walden to Chief Creative Officer was intended to appease the Hollywood creative community. This created a dual-leadership structure where Josh D'Amaro was responsible for generating revenue and technological transformation, while Dana Walden was responsible for ensuring content quality.
It's worth noting Josh D'Amaro's attitude towards technology. His push for a metaverse partnership with Epic Games and his embrace of AI technology (through collaboration with OpenAI) suggest that Disney may become more like a "technology entertainment company" in the future, which may be the key reason why Bob Iger believes Josh D'Amaro can lead Disney into its next century.
