The Walt Disney Company announced that Josh D’Amaro, currently chairman of Disney Experiences, will succeed Bob Iger as CEO effective March 18, 2026, following a unanimous board vote led by chairman James Gorman. In parallel, Dana Walden has been named president and chief creative officer to oversee storytelling and content development. Iger will remain on the board as a strategic adviser through December 2026, providing continuity during the leadership handoff. This marks the first CEO change in over two decades that does not involve Iger, reflecting the board’s confidence in D’Amaro’s track record and Walden’s creative leadership.

D’Amaro’s division delivered record quarterly revenue of $10 billion in Q1 FY2026, representing 8% year-over-year growth driven by higher attendance, premium pricing tiers and international expansion. The Experiences segment has accounted for more than 70% of Disney’s consolidated operating income in recent quarters, with several new attractions—such as the Tokyo resort expansion and immersive lands in California—exceeding guest satisfaction targets. Under D’Amaro’s stewardship, per-capita spending in U.S. parks rose by 5% despite rising input costs, demonstrating his ability to balance guest experience with margin preservation.

Disney’s share performance has lagged the broader market, declining by approximately 40% over the past five years and remaining essentially flat since early 2022. Following the CEO announcement, Wall Street analysts broadly applauded the choice but described their reaction as subdued, with price targets adjusted modestly upward on expectations that D’Amaro will leverage the parks’ cash-flow strength to support content investments and reduce streaming losses. Several brokerages highlighted D’Amaro’s intimate knowledge of Disney’s operations and his reputation for delivering on multi-year investment plans as catalysts for renewed investor confidence.

Despite the parks’ success, Disney faces headwinds in its broadcast media and streaming segments: ESPN linear viewership has eroded by 12% over two years and subscriber growth at Disney+ is slowing against elevated content costs. Investors will watch closely whether D’Amaro reallocates capital from the high-margin parks business to accelerate original programming or forge new distribution partnerships. Additionally, the company’s second-quarter guidance was tempered by softer consumer spending trends, underscoring the importance of disciplined cost management and targeted marketing investments as D’Amaro and Walden steer Disney through its next growth phase.