Disney names Josh D'Amaro CEO as Iger era ends; parks veteran wins internal bake-off
Feb 3, 2026
Key Points
- Disney names Josh D'Amaro, a 28-year parks veteran, as CEO effective next month, ending the Bob Iger era and avoiding a repeat of the Chapek succession disaster.
- Dana Walden, D'Amaro's rival in the internal succession process, takes a newly created role as president and chief creative officer.
- D'Amaro inherits a company whose stock is down nearly 50% from its 2021 peak as Disney+ subscriber growth flattened and the entertainment market faced broader headwinds.
Summary
Disney named Josh D'Amaro as its next CEO, effective next month. D'Amaro, a 28-year parks veteran, won an internal succession process overseen by chairman James Gorman. Dana Walden, who competed for the role, was named to a newly created position as president and chief creative officer.
The selection represents Disney's effort to avoid repeating its last succession failure, when the board named Bob Chapek CEO in 2020 only to fire him and reinstate Bob Iger two years later. Gorman, who orchestrated a widely praised succession at Morgan Stanley, oversaw the process. He told the Wall Street Journal he watched Iger and D'Amaro work together and is confident the handoff will succeed. Gorman cited D'Amaro's combination of strategic thinking, understanding of the creative process, and experience working both overseas and in the United States.
D'Amaro spent most of his career running Disney's theme parks in the U.S. and overseas, including Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Since 2020, he has chaired Disney's experiences unit, which encompasses theme parks, cruise ships, and consumer products. Iger will remain on the board as senior adviser through December 31.
Disney shares were flat on the news. Shareholders are watching for D'Amaro to execute a growth plan for a company whose stock has fallen nearly 50% from its 2021 peak, when Disney+ subscription momentum was strong. The stock has declined as subscriber growth flattened and the company faced pressure from theatrical releases and broader entertainment market challenges. Disney has had only nine CEOs in its 102-year history, underscoring the weight of the role—one that requires running a sprawling empire while serving as its high-profile public face.