Bob Iger will officially depart as chief executive of The Walt Disney Company on Wednesday, closing one of the most consequential tenures in the history of American entertainment.
Josh D’Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, assumed the CEO role effective March 18, the same day Disney will hold its annual shareholder meeting.
D’Amaro’s division oversees Disney’s 12 theme parks, 57 resorts, and the Disney Cruise Line, making him one of the most operationally experienced executives in the company’s history.
D’Amaro began working at Disneyland in a strategic planning role in 1998, and throughout his time at the company held several leadership roles in business strategy, marketing, creative development, finance, and operations.
D’Amaro became president of Disneyland Resort in February 2018.
Following the transition, Iger will not leave the company entirely.
Variety reported that Iger will transition to serving as senior adviser and a member of the Disney board until his retirement from the company on Dec. 31, 2026.
Iger’s exit had been anticipated for some time.
The Wall Street Journal reported in January 2026 that he planned to pull back from daily management before the December 31 end of his contract.
Disney board chairman James Gorman recounted that after mentoring and developing the next Disney successor, Iger decided “to step aside.”
CNBC noted that Gorman said Iger told him, “I want to step aside and I want to work with this individual, with this team, in ensuring we get off for this next decade on the strongest possible foot.”
The succession process had been underway for some time.
Disney tapped James Gorman to chair the board’s Succession Planning Committee, and Gorman had stated that a central purpose of his role was “to appoint a new CEO, which we now expect to announce in early 2026.”
Disney’s board was under added pressure to execute a strong succession plan after the debacle that ensued when Iger previously handed the CEO role to Bob Chapek, said Variety.
The outlet further noted that Chapek took over as CEO in February 2020, just weeks before the COVID pandemic turned global markets upside down and forced immediate and drastic changes in the way Disney operated.
Chapek was ultimately removed by the Disney board in November 2022, and Iger returned to the role.
By unanimous vote, the Disney board selected D’Amaro as the new CEO.
The other top candidate in the process was Dana Walden, who served as co-chair of Disney Entertainment.
Walden was appointed to a new role as president and chief creative officer, also effective March 18, reporting directly to D’Amaro.
During his time leading the company, Iger oversaw some of the most significant acquisitions in Disney’s history.
These included the purchase of Pixar for $7.4 billion, Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, and Lucasfilm for $4 billion.
Iger is leaving Disney having overseen its streaming business achieve profitability, alongside a big post-COVID rebound at Disney Experiences and a long-term strategic plan to invest $60 billion into that business.
Iger steered the company through the launch of Disney+, the company’s streaming platform, which represented a major strategic pivot for the media giant as traditional television viewership declined across the industry.
Thomas Mazloum will succeed D’Amaro as chairman of Disney Experiences.
Iger stated in a formal announcement regarding his successor: “Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the right person to become our next CEO.
“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.”
