D’Amaro joined Disney in 1998 at the Disneyland Resort and holds a business administration degree from Georgetown University. (Photo: The Walt Disney Company)
Walt Disney on Tuesday named theme parks head Josh D’Amaro as its new CEO. D’Amaro, 54, will take the reins from Bob Iger, 74, on March 18.
A Disney insider, D’Amaro, has been with the Walt Disney Company for 28 years.
D’Amaro joined Disney in 1998 at the Disneyland Resort and holds a business administration degree from Georgetown University. Over his career, he has held leadership roles across the company, both in the US and internationally.
Who is Josh D’Amaro?
According to his corporate profile, until now, D’Amaro was overseeing Disney Parks, with 12 theme parks and 57 resort hotels across six global destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia, plus a future landmark Disney theme park coming to Abu Dhabi.
D’Amaro joined Disney in 1998 at the Disneyland Resort. (Photo: The Walt Disney Company)
As parks chief, he was responsible for the aggressive expansion of the business: he helped announce and lead a roughly $60 billion, multi-year investment program to expand parks, cruises and experiences – Under his leadership, Disney reported a 6% jump in revenue at the Experiences segment in fiscal 2025, with a record $10 billion in operating income for the segment.
His portfolio also includes Disney Signature Experiences – family travel and leisure experiences beyond the parks, including the top-rated Disney Cruise Line, growing from seven to 13 ships by 2031 and featuring two island destinations, along with Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, Disney Institute and Storyliving by Disney.
“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,” James Gorman, Chairman of The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors, said in a statement.
Outgoing CEO, Iger described D’Amaro as the right person to lead the company.
“Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the right person to become our next CEO,” said Robert A. Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company.
“He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences, paired with the rigor and attention to detail required to deliver some of our most ambitious projects. His ability to combine creativity with operational excellence is exemplary and I am thrilled for Josh and the company.”
Disney management shakeup
Disney also named entertainment co-chief Dana Walden, a creative executive in the mold of Iger with a string of commercial and critical hits and strong talent ties, as chief content officer and president.
Succession has long been the storied entertainment giant’s weakness – it delayed Iger’s retirement several times and brought him back in 2022 to replace his handpicked successor, Bob Chapek, after the pandemic hobbled its business.
Iger is credited with shaping the modern Disney through deals for Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox.
Curated by Aisha Patel
