It’s official, Josh D’Amaro is now the Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. This follows an extensive search led by Disney’s Chairman of the Board, James P. Gorman. D’Amaro is joined at the top of the company by Dana Walden, who is now the President and Chief Creative Officer for Disney. On Wednesday morning, The Walt Disney Company website was updated to reflect the leadership changes.

Looking to the Future

Entertainment

As D’Amaro takes over Disney, it has plenty of opportunities and plenty of challenges in this new era. Where the Iger era was highlighted by the expansion of Disney through acquisition, the D’Amaro era might end up being highlighted by growth through innovation. The company faces a challenging media landscape as linear television viewership continues to decline. The traditional theatrical release of movies may also present a challenging landscape. This comes as viewers continue to enjoy watching films via a streaming service, sometimes at the expense of going to a traditional theater. Some major franchises and films have also not performed like they once did.

Experiences

Disney Experiences continues to be a strong point for Disney. It is currently being turbocharged with a $60 billion investment. This will see new attractions, lands, experiences, and ships being brought online throughout Disney Experiences. Ultimately, this will lead to new memories being made by guests who visit the parks, cruise on the ships, or interact with Disney’s experiences in the coming years.

A.I.

Another opportunity and challenge for Disney in this new chapter will be how it utilizes A.I. A.I. has been used to delight fans with semi-autonomous robots like the BDX Droids, Olaf, and even the Spider-Man stuntronics figure. It also has the potential to be used throughout Disney in other ways. This will be one of the things that D’Amaro will be tasked with navigating in this new era of Disney. All of this comes with the backdrop of a world that continues to change faster than ever.

Mission

“The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.”

It says it all in Disney’s mission statement. This is a company that strives to “entertain, inform and inspire people” with “unparalleled storytelling.” This is something that Disney has kept core to what it does for over 100 years. When it has kept this central and executed on this, it has seen great success. When it has lost focus, the company has struggled. With the current leadership, the focus is on the power of storytelling, and that bodes well for this next chapter.

Leadership

As Disney enters this new chapter, perhaps one of its greatest opportunities comes from the people who are set to lead it. The leadership at this time focuses on people, human connection, and kindness. At the same time, there is a focus on strong and innovative storytelling. There also isn’t a fear of taking risks. This sets things up for some really exciting times for those who follow Disney.

Daps Magic wishes Josh D’Amaro and the rest of Disney all the best as they embark on this new journey. A heartfelt thanks goes out to Bob Iger for his leadership through the years as well. Here’s to the future!

Josh D’Amaro’s Official Bio

Josh D’Amaro is Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, leading a unified portfolio of world-class brands and businesses committed to exceptional storytelling and meaningful consumer connections. As part of his strategic vision for the company, D’Amaro has outlined priorities aimed at uniting human creativity with cutting-edge technology to create unforgettable storytelling experiences that deepen Disney’s enduring bond with fans and consumers. Under his leadership, Disney is harnessing the power of its creative engines, global reach, and multiple consumer touchpoints to accelerate into a new era of innovation and growth.

D’Amaro assumes the role of CEO after serving as Chairman of Disney Experiences, the company’s largest and fastest growing business segment, with $36 billion in annual revenue in FY2025. During his tenure leading Disney Experiences, D’Amaro spearheaded the largest expansion in the segment’s history, guiding a multi‑year strategy with capital investment to significantly expand Disney’s footprint worldwide, including new cruise ships, resorts, themed lands, attractions, and technologies that will redefine the Disney guest experience for future generations — all powered by close collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Studios, and the filmmakers and creators behind Disney’s most enduring franchises.

Over his nearly three-decade career at Disney, D’Amaro has played a central role in shaping the modern Disney brand across theme parks, cruise ships, retail, games, immersive experiences, and real world and digital storytelling. His leadership has been defined by a commitment to quality, ingenuity, and strategic growth — and by a core understanding of how Disney’s stories create unmatched experiences for audiences around the world.

A forward-looking leader with an acute focus on the intersection of creativity and innovation, D’Amaro has championed the integration of cutting-edge technology across Disney’s businesses — from Walt Disney Imagineering’s breakthroughs in advanced robotics and next-generation animatronics to a landmark platform partnership with Epic Games that will redefine how fans play, create, and connect with Disney stories. His vision places technology in service of creativity, using it to expand the Disney universe for new audiences and position the company at the forefront of a rapidly evolving global media landscape.

Recognized for his global perspective, D’Amaro has held executive roles at Disney both in the U.S. and internationally across finance, business strategy, marketing, creative development, and operations. His work has contributed to some of Disney’s most celebrated recent achievements, including the launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Avengers Campus, and multiple milestones in the company’s cruise and resort portfolio.

Throughout his career, D’Amaro has been guided by an abiding belief in the power of the Disney brand — its heritage, its storytelling legacy, and its unparalleled emotional connection with audiences and families. His leadership emphasizes creative courage, disciplined investment, global expansion, and relentless innovation to ensure Disney continues to inspire generations to come, supported by a culture that empowers the people who bring its stories to life.

D’Amaro holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University.