The Walt Disney Company has named Josh D’Amaro its next chief executive, the board announced Tuesday. D’Amaro, 54, will replace Bob Iger and is scheduled to assume the role in March.
A 28-year Disney veteran, D’Amaro has been chairman of Disney Experiences, overseeing the company’s cruise ships, resorts and theme parks worldwide, including a planned park in Abu Dhabi. Disney’s corporate site credits him as the “architect of the largest global expansion in the history of Disney Experiences,” totaling about $36 billion.
Iger, who returned as CEO in 2022 after a stint away, faced criticism in September when ABC temporarily suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over comments tied to a high-profile killing. Iger originally led Disney from 2005 to 2020, stepped down and was succeeded by Bob Chapek, then was asked back in 2022 when Disney was losing about $1 billion per quarter. He is credited with stabilizing the company, overseeing a restructuring that included $5.5 billion in cost cuts and layoffs.
In a company statement, Iger praised D’Amaro as “the right person to become our next CEO.” Iger will remain a senior adviser and board member and plans to retire at the end of the year.
As CEO, D’Amaro will lead Disney’s vast entertainment and experiences portfolio, including Disney-branded studios, 20th Century Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Pixar, ABC, FX, Hulu and the company’s theme parks and resorts. He will also oversee partnerships and new initiatives, including a recent licensing agreement with OpenAI’s Sora platform.