Disney has decided on a new CEO — Bob Iger is leaving after almost 20 years

There's a leadership change coming to Disney. Josh D’Amaro, who previously headed the corporation's theme parks, will become the new CEO of the company. This is reported on the official website of Disney.

Josh D’Amaro will assume his new position after the shareholders' meeting, which will be held on March 18. He will replace Bob Iger, who has been CEO for almost 20 years.

The appointment of Josh D'amaro was announced by the Disney Board of Directors. At the same time, it was decided that Bob Iger will become a senior adviser, as well as a member of the board of directors, and will work at the company until December 31, 2026, until he retires.

For Disney, this is an important moment, marking the end of a long epic involving the transfer of power, Variety writes. The fact is that Bob Iger has already resigned as CEO. In 2020, he handed over the leadership to Bob Chapek, a Disney veteran who served in the same position that Josh D’Amaro currently holds.

At that time, Iger remained chairman of the board of directors and oversaw the company's creative solutions. This has led to disagreements, which have been overlaid by unpopular decisions related to the pandemic. As a result, Chapek was fired, and Iger returned to his former post in 2022.

It's more difficult to pull this off this time, because Bob Iger's return was initially limited in time. In 2024, the Disney board of directors committed to appoint a successor to the CEO by early 2026.

It is worth noting that this time, for the first time, Disney could be headed by a woman. The second candidate on the shortlist of the Disney board of directors was Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. As a result, she received the position of president and chief creative officer. Walden will report directly to D’Amaro.

Recall that in January, the leadership of LucasFilm also changed. Kathleen Kennedy has resigned from her 14-year post. Finally, she spoke about the canceled The Hunt for Ben Solo.