The Walt Disney Company is on the verge of making one of the biggest leadership decisions in its history. According to a report from Bloomberg News, confirmed by Reuters, Disney’s board of directors is close to promoting theme-park division chairman Josh D’Amaro to the role of chief executive officer.
The board is expected to vote on naming a new leader as early as next week, according to people familiar with the matter. This comes just days after I reported that Bob Iger plans to step down before the end of 2026.
D’Amaro has been widely considered the front-runner for the position for months. The New York Times published a deep dive just days ago examining whether D’Amaro can “break Disney’s succession curse” — a nod to the company’s rocky history with CEO transitions, most notably the Bob Chapek era.
Who Is Josh D’Amaro?
D’Amaro currently serves as Chairman of Disney Experiences, the division that oversees all Disney theme parks, cruise lines, and consumer products worldwide. He’s been instrumental in overseeing the massive expansion plans at Walt Disney World — including the upcoming Studios Lot transformation at Hollywood Studios and the Cars and Villains lands.
He previously served as President of Walt Disney World Resort and has deep operational experience across Disney’s parks business. Under his leadership, the Experiences division has become Disney’s most reliable profit engine, consistently delivering strong quarterly results even as the company’s streaming business faced headwinds.
What This Means for the Parks
Having a parks guy at the top of Disney is significant. D’Amaro understands the guest experience firsthand and has been a champion of investment in the physical parks. If confirmed, his appointment could signal continued aggressive investment in theme park expansion — great news for park fans who’ve been watching the ambitious construction projects taking shape at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
I’ll be watching closely as the board vote approaches next week. This could be the most consequential leadership change at Disney since Iger first took the reins back in 2005.
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