The long search to find Bob Iger’s successor at Disney is over (again) — and the next CEO will be a sculptor-turned-executive.
Disney announced that Josh D’Amaro — president of Disney Experiences, responsible for the company’s theme parks, cruises and consumer products — will take the helm of the nearly $200 billion entertainment conglomerate next month.
Also read:
Continues after advertising
D’Amaro spent nearly three decades climbing the Mickey Mouse corporate ladder, but taking over Main Street USA wasn’t always part of the plan. The 54-year-old executive has said that uncertainty, not a master plan, has guided much of his career.
After growing up in Massachusetts, D’Amaro entered Skidmore College with the intention of becoming a sculptor. But one night, at the end of the second year, changed everything. At 2 a.m., D’Amaro found himself welding a 12-foot sculpture, grappling with a very adult question: How would he support a family as an artist?
D’Amaro finished the piece—an abstract human figure stretching toward the sky—but soon made the executive decision to change direction. He transferred to Georgetown University and began studying business administration.
“In my head, I was going to be an artist — painting, sculpting and studying art, with a little business on the side,” D’Amaro told Georgetown students last year. “I loved it, but I realized I had no idea what the hell I was going to do when I graduated.”
This initial moment of uncertainty would ultimately shape his leadership philosophy. D’Amaro has already revealed that he doesn’t believe in pretending to have all the answers: part of his most important growth came from admitting when he didn’t.
“The moment you say ‘I don’t know’ is one of the lightest, most invigorating and freeing feelings there is,” D’Amaro added. “More than that, people respond to it. They want to talk to you, give you advice, pull you close. You’re not just strengthening yourself, you’re strengthening the people around you.”
Continues after advertising
Stumble at the beginning of your career can shape the way you approach the CEO role
D’Amaro spoke to Fortune in 2024 from his office at the Disney studio in Burbank, Calif., where a sketch of Cinderella’s castle hung on one wall and five black-and-white photographs of Walt Disney covered another — a daily reminder of the legacy and opportunity ahead.
“Every day I look beyond my computer at those photographs,” he said, “to remember the responsibility I have.”
That sense of tutelage will likely shape how D’Amaro approaches his new role as he prepares to officially take over from Iger on March 18. But he’s unlikely to make drastic changes on day one. Instead, approach each new role with the same mindset: start by listening.
Continues after advertising
“There’s a weight to a business card with a job title. You start to take on that identity, but that’s not who you are,” D’Amaro told Georgetown students. “Now, every time I go into a new job, I say, ‘I don’t know.’ But I know you know, and I know I can help.”
That lesson came from a mistake early in his career — when he misdirected employees in their first meeting after a big promotion.
“Afterwards, I asked senior leaders, ‘Why didn’t anyone say anything?’ And they said, ‘You didn’t ask.’ I didn’t even stop to say, ‘Guys, I’m just Josh. I don’t really know what the hell I’m doing.’ If I had said that, the room would have come to life,” said D’Amaro. “They would have said, ‘We have 10 ideas that no one has heard of yet — let’s do it.’”
Continues after advertising
Ultimately, being open to the unknown, the Disney CEO said, decisively shaped his career and his life.
“One of the things I tell my kids is, ‘Say yes.’ If someone offers something a little out of the familiar, say yes. There are so many unexpected opportunities in life — you have to open up and explore,” D’Amaro said. “Nothing is ever perfectly aligned… Sometimes you just have to hold your breath and go.”
Replacing Bob Iger, an icon
D’Amaro is taking on one of the biggest roles in media and stepping into the shadow of a leader long synonymous with Disney.
Continues after advertising
The new CEO and the outgoing executive, Iger, are “eerily similar,” reported the New York Times, pointing out their similar behavior and deep identification with the Disney brand. They even share the same birthday: February 10th.
The comparison also highlights the weight of the position. Iger first held the CEO post from 2005 to 2020, but was brought back in 2022 after successor Bob Chapek’s turbulent tenure.
At the top, Iger became known for a grueling work ethic, often starting his day at 4 a.m. and working late into the night. His ties to the company go back nearly five decades, starting as a meteorologist for an ABC affiliate in Ithaca, New York — years before Disney acquired ABC in 1996.
While the role comes with enormous expectations, it also comes with great rewards.
D’Amaro’s total compensation package is expected to be around $38 million. By comparison, Iger was paid just over $45 million in 2025 — up more than 45% from $31 million in 2023, according to Walt Disney Company filings with the SEC. (equivalent to CVM in the USA).
Iger attributed his rise to three factors: hard work, great mentors and a lot of luck. He also made it clear that leadership is about earning respect — not seeking approval.
“If you try to run a popularity contest, then you don’t make the hard decisions,” Iger said at Bloomberg’s Global Business Forum in 2019. “I think you have to be fair and approachable and communicative — but popularity is not one of the goals.”
For D’Amaro — who already has a following among Disney’s most dedicated fans — the task now is to carry that legacy forward while defining his own era, balancing continuity and change at a defining moment for the company.
2026 Fortune Media IP Limited
