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The Magic Kingdom will soon have a new monarch.
Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that theme parks chief Josh D’Amaro will succeed Bob Iger, the company’s longtime chief executive, on March 18. The move effectively closes the curtains on one of the most closely watched succession sagas in corporate America.
D’Amaro, 54, is poised to take control of a sprawling entertainment empire that includes Pixar and Marvel Studios, the “Star Wars” franchise, the ABC broadcast network, the Disney+ and Hulu streaming platforms, a rich library of classic films and theme parks around the world.
Josh D’Amaro in Austin, Texas, in March 2025.File Adam Kissick/Getty Images“Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the ideal person to become our next CEO,” said Iger, who turns 75 next week.
In a statement, D’Amaro said he was “immensely grateful to the board of directors for entrusting me with leadership of a company that means so much to me and to millions of people around the world.”
Dana Walden, a senior executive who oversees Disney’s television and streaming units, will become president and chief creative officer, the company announced. She was widely considered one of the contenders for the CEO position.
This announcement comes at a time of turbulence for the entertainment industry and a time of transition for Hollywood. Disney and other legacy studios are grappling with declining television audiences, the rise of generative artificial intelligence, union unrest and scrutiny from Trump administration regulators.
D’Amaro currently serves as president of a corporate unit known as Disney Experiences, a role that gives him broad oversight over the company’s cruise ships, resorts, attractions and consumer technologies. He oversees a dozen theme parks and nearly 60 resort hotels in the United States, Europe and Asia, as well as a planned theme park in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Disney Parks business excelled under D’Amaro’s leadership. In its latest earnings report, released Monday, the national parks unit posted record quarterly revenues in the three months ending Dec. 27, while visitor attendance and spending also increased year-on-year.
Outside of parks and cruises, D’Amaro also runs Disney’s consumer products unit, which runs its lucrative licensing business for children’s toys, clothing and home products, according to his online business profile.
D’Amaro, who joined the company in 1998 with a role at Disneyland Resort, rose through the ranks of the Mouse House over the decades. He previously served as CFO of Disney Worldwide Consumer Products Licensing, Chairman of Disneyland Resort and Chairman of Walt Disney World Resort.
Iger’s planned departure will mark the end of his second stint at Disney. He income as CEO end of 2022, two years after having resignedfollowing the recommendations of the council decision to oust his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek, amid internal discontent with his leadership.
Disney’s board said at the time that Iger had signed on for two years and would be asked to “work closely with the board to find a successor to lead the company at the end of his term.” The advice voted unanimously in 2023 to extend his mandate until December 31, 2026.
“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, we express our deepest gratitude to Bob Iger for his extraordinary leadership and dedication to The Walt Disney Company,” said Disney Chairman James Gorman.
Disney said Iger will continue to serve as a senior advisor and board member until his retirement from the company on Dec. 31.
Besides D’Amaro and Walden, ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro was reportedly considered a top candidate to succeed Iger.
Daniel Arkin is a senior reporter at NBC News.
Steve Kopack
contributed
.
