Josh D’Amaro

Chief Executive Officer The Walt Disney Company

Last Reviewed: October 3, 2026

Executive Summary

Josh D’Amaro became Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company on 18 March 2026, succeeding Robert Iger, and joined its board the same day. Disney runs three businesses: Entertainment (studios, television and streaming), Sports (ESPN) and Experiences (theme parks, cruise lines and consumer products). D’Amaro spent his career in the last of these. He joined Disney in 1998, ran Disneyland and then Walt Disney World, and from 2020 chaired Disney Experiences, which the company says had $36 billion of revenue in fiscal 2025. The appointment puts the executive who ran what Disney itself calls its largest and fastest-growing segment in charge of the whole company.

Career Highlights

• Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company since 18 March 2026; director since the same day.
• Chairman of Disney Experiences, 2020 to 2026.
• President of Walt Disney World Resort, 2019 to 2020.
• President of Disneyland Resort, 2018 to 2019.
• National Board of Directors, Make-A-Wish America.

Professional Journey

D’Amaro earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Georgetown University and joined Disney in 1998. Over nearly three decades he held roles in finance, business strategy, marketing, creative development and operations, in the United States and internationally, according to his Disney biography. They included vice president of Adventures by Disney, vice president of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and senior vice president of resort and transportation operations at Walt Disney World.

From 2017 to 2018 he was senior vice president of commercial strategy for Walt Disney World Resort. He then ran Disneyland Resort as president from 2018 to 2019 and Walt Disney World Resort from 2019 to 2020. Disney credits him with contributing to the launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Avengers Campus.

In 2020 he became chairman of Disney Experiences, the segment covering theme parks, cruises, resorts and consumer products. Disney says he led the largest expansion in the segment’s history, with new cruise ships, resorts, themed lands and attractions, and championed technology from Walt Disney Imagineering robotics to a platform partnership with Epic Games.

On 2 February 2026 the board named him chief executive, effective 18 March 2026, with Iger moving to senior advisor through the end of the year. He joined the board and its executive committee on 18 March. His leadership team includes Dana Walden as president and chief creative officer, Hugh Johnston as chief financial officer and Paul Roeder, whom he named chief communications officer. Disney reports three segments, Entertainment, Sports and Experiences, and employed about 231,000 people at the end of fiscal 2025, according to its annual report. Outside the company he serves on the national board of Make-A-Wish America.

Education

Georgetown University

Bachelor of Science, Business Administration