The Walt Disney Company has named Josh D’Amaro as its next Chief Executive Officer, setting a long-planned leadership transition that will take effect at the company’s Annual Meeting on March 18, 2026. D’Amaro will succeed Robert A. Iger, who will remain on as Senior Advisor and a member of Disney’s board through the end of 2026.
The appointment, approved unanimously by Disney’s Board of Directors, elevates the current Chairman of Disney Experiences to the top role at a moment when parks and experiences represent the company’s largest business segment. Under D’Amaro’s leadership, Disney Experiences generated $36 billion in revenue in FY2025 and employs roughly 185,000 cast members and employees worldwide. He is widely credited as the architect of the division’s largest global expansion, overseeing everything from new park developments to immersive, franchise-driven experiences.
“Josh D’Amaro possesses that rare combination of inspiring leadership and innovation,” said board chairman James Gorman, citing D’Amaro’s strategic vision, creative instincts, and track record of execution. Iger echoed that sentiment, praising D’Amaro’s ability to balance creativity with operational discipline and calling him “the right person to become our next CEO.”
Dana Walden Named President and Chie Creative Officer
Alongside the CEO announcement, Disney also revealed a major creative leadership shift. Dana Walden, currently Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, has been named President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company, effective the same day. The newly created role places Walden at the center of Disney’s storytelling strategy across film, television, streaming, and beyond. She will report directly to D’Amaro and oversee creative consistency across every audience touchpoint, from content to brand expression.
Walden’s appointment marks a historic first for Disney, formalizing creativity as a top enterprise-wide mandate. “Given that creativity is at the heart of everything Disney does, she is a wonderful choice,” Iger said, noting her deep credibility within the creative community and her leadership of Disney’s global entertainment portfolio.
Iger’s transition to Senior Advisor caps a succession process that began in earnest in early 2023, when Disney formed a dedicated Succession Planning Committee. The multi-year effort included internal development, external coaching, and direct board engagement for both D’Amaro and Walden. Gorman credited Iger with strengthening Disney’s leadership bench while steering the company through a period of industry disruption and transformation following his return as CEO in 2022.
D’Amaro takes over a Disney that has been reshaped around four strategic priorities: restoring creative strength at the studios, driving profitability in streaming, positioning ESPN for a digital future, and accelerating growth across Disney Experiences. With major projects underway—from new theme park lands to global expansions—the board signaled confidence that the next chapter of Disney leadership will build on that foundation rather than reset it.
“I am immensely grateful to the Board for entrusting me with leading a company that means so much to me,” D’Amaro said in a statement, adding that Disney’s future remains rooted in its people, its stories, and its capacity to innovate at scale.
With D’Amaro as CEO and Walden as President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney enters 2026 with a clearly defined leadership structure designed to balance business rigor with creative ambition—an alignment the board hopes will carry the company into its next era of growth.
Reel 360 News wishes Josh and Dana the best of luck in their new roles.
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