Feb 3 (Reuters) - Walt Disney on Tuesday named theme parks head Josh D’Amaro as CEO, ending years of succession uncertainty and placing a longtime insider at the helm as artificial intelligence and a wave of consolidation upend the media industry.
D’Amaro, 54, will take the reins from Bob Iger, 74, on March 18. Iger is credited with shaping the modern Disney through deals for Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox.
Disney also named entertainment co-chief Dana Walden, a creative executive in the mold of Iger with a string of commercial and critical hits and strong talent ties, as chief content officer and president.
Succession has long been the storied entertainment giant’s weakness - it delayed Iger’s retirement several times and brought him back in 2022 to replace his handpicked successor, Bob Chapek, after the pandemic hobbled its business.
To avoid another misstep, Disney DIS.N in 2024 named Morgan Stanley MS.N veteran James Gorman as its chairman to oversee the CEO search. Gorman, who led a smooth transition at the Wall Street bank, joined after the House of Mickey Mouse extended Iger’s tenure for a fifth time through 2026.
