Disney on Tuesday used Josh D’Amaro to succeed veteran CEO Bob Iger, who will retire at the end of the year.

D’Amaro rose through the ranks of the entertainment giant after getting his start in finance at the Disneyland Resort in the late 1990s under Iger.

Iger announced Tuesday that he will retire from the company at the end of the year, with D’Amaro taking over as CEO starting in March 2026. Iger, 74, will retire on Dec. 31, 2026, having first joined the company in 1996.

D’Amaro will continue in his role as president of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products until he becomes CEO.

Josh D’Amaro, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, speaks during Day 2 of D23 Brazil: A Disney Experience at the Transamerica Expo Center on November 9, 2024, in São Paulo, Brazil. (Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images for Disney)

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As president, D’Amaro oversees 185,000 cast members, employees and “Imaginers” “who make up Disney’s creative engine and long-term growth engine,” according to his LinkedIn profile. In this role, he also oversees 12 theme parks and 57 resort hotels in six global destinations in the US, Europe and Asia, as well as a future Disney theme park coming to Abu Dhabi.

Josh D’Amaro at the SXSW Conference and Festivals at the Austin Convention Center on March 8, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Adam Kissick/SXSW Conference and Festivals via Getty Images)

In this role, he also leads Disney Signature Experiences, which includes family travel and leisure experiences beyond the theme parks and includes Disney Cruise Line, which consists of five ships and two island destinations as well as Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney and Storyliving by Disney.

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He is also responsible for Disney Consumer Products, which includes its global licensing business and the company’s digital games and apps unit, which was highlighted by its partnership with Epic Games.

Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Co., arrives at the Allen and Co. Media and Technology Conference. in Sun Valley, Idaho on July 8, 2025. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

D’Amaro was tasked with leading the company’s strategy to “turbocharge” the Disney Experiences, creating experiences for audiences through a 10-year, $60 billion investment in new attractions, lands, hotels, cruises and technology. His job also included working with the creative heads of the company’s film and television studio, along with Walt Disney Imagineering, to bring Disney’s most popular creative assets in life.

Disney applauded D’Amaro for being an “instrumental” part in expanding iconic Disney franchises by creating immersive story-driven experiences like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Marvel’s Avengers Campus, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and World of Frozen, according to his bio page.

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After graduating from Georgetown University with a business degree, D’Amaro began his career at the Disneyland Resort in 1998, according to his bio page on Disney’s website. Since then, he has risen through the ranks and held leadership roles in the US and internationally in finance, business strategy, marketing, creative development and operations. A longtime Disney executive, his previous positions include president of Disneyland Resort and president of Walt Disney World Resort.

A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse stands in a garden in front of Cinderella’s castle at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park on April 3, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

D’Amaro’s work extends beyond Disney. He currently serves on the National Board of Directors of Make-A-Wish America. The non-profit organization has been a longtime Disney partner that has granted more than 170,000 wishes over the past 45 years.

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D’Amaro is also a member of the American Travel Association’s Leadership Roundtable.

Disney shares are down more than 9% year to date.