One of the biggest jobs in all of entertainment has been the talk of Hollywood for a couple of years now. We've known ever since Bob Iger returned as CEO of The Walt Disney Company that he wouldn't be there forever. The question of who would succeed him came down to two major names: Disney Experiences head Josh D'Amaro, Disney Entertainment co-head Dana Walden
Well, the game of succession has now come to an end. This morning, The Walt Disney Company officially announced Josh D'Amaro will be the next CEO of Disney. However, I'm not sure that's the biggest piece of news to come out of this, because Walden has also received a major promotion within Disney. She will become Disney's President and its Chief Creative Officer.
Both promotions are effective March 18, 2026, which is a lot sooner than we thought. Bob Iger's contract doesn't end until December 31. Initially, the plan was that the new CEO would be working alongside Iger for several months and would take over Disney on January 1. Apparently, it's been decided that D'Amaro and Walden don't need to wait. Or maybe Bob Iger is just ready to go.
Dana Walden's Promotion Is History Making
While most eyes will be on the new CEO, I don't think we can undersell the promotion of Dana Walden as both President and Chief Creative Officer. This makes Walden the highest-ranking woman in Disney's history, and it demonstrates the company's recognition of her importance. While they may not have chosen her as CEO, they did not want her to leave.
While many studios within Disney have Chief Creative Officers, I don't believe they've ever had that position at the corporate level. In the role, she'll oversee the creative direction of both the entertainment side and, one assumes, the theme parks as well.
Disney also hasn't had a person in the role of President of Disney since Bob Iger stepped down from the largely redundant position in 2012. There hasn't been a person in the role of President who wasn't also CEO in nearly three decades.
Disney had to make a place for Dana Walden, but the company did that for her. It's not uncommon for people passed over for the top job in a company to go looking for greener pastures. Disney did not want that here; it knew it had two top candidates, and it wanted them both at the top.
The Pairing Harkens Back To Some Of Disney's Most Successful Times
While Josh D'Amaro may be the man at the top, it seems clear that the plan is for these two executives to work together. Walden is recognized as a talent in the creative field, while D'Amaro's success at Disney Experiences has been a key driver of the company's profits.
It looks very similar to the 1980s when Michael Eisner came in as CEO and Frank Wells was named President. The duo ushered in the Disney Decade and brought a floundering Disney back to prominence. It also bears a striking resemblance to the original duo of Walt and Roy Disney. Walt was the creative talent, Roy handled the money.
This feels like the right move for Disney. It prevents the "brain drain" that often follows new leadership, and the people who have been a big part of Disney's success for the last several years will be able to keep doing that. It will likely result in a shakeup of leadership within Disney Experiences, but Josh D'Amaro clearly cares about the parks, and he'll find the right people to lead that ship, likely with some input from the new President.
