Disney has finally named its next CEO, Josh D’Amaro. After months (if not years) of anticipation, the Disney Company announced the news on February 3rd, 2026, ahead of Bob Iger’s contract end.
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There has been lots of conversation regarding the big news, and now former Disney CEO Michael Eisner has chimed in. He has some big advice for the new company head, specifically to “continue Bob Iger’s strategy.”
Former CEO Michael Eisner has chimed in on Disney’s latest announcement! Eisner served as chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company from September 1984 to September 2005, before he was stepped down and was replaced with current CEO Bob Iger.
Michael Eisner (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)
Eisner has been outspoken on changes regarding the company for many years, and he even welcomed Bob Iger back when he returned to the CEO position in 2022 after leaving it originally in 2020. In a message on X, Eisner shared his congratulations for Josh D’Amaro and Dana Walden, the company’s new Chief Creative Officer, along with some big advice.
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He wrote, “Congratulations to Josh D’Amaro for becoming the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, and congratulations to Chairman James Gorman for making such a wise pick as well as promoting Dana Walden to president and chief creative officer.” The new role of Chief Creative Officer was created for Walden as a “historic first for the company.” Walden will report directly to D’Amaro to “ensure that storytelling and creative expression across every audience touchpoint consistently reflect the brand, engage audience at scale, and advance core business objectives, while driving enterprise-wide initiatives and translating vision into action.”
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As far as advice goes, Esiner continued to say, “My advice to Josh is continue Bob Iger’s strategy that creativity will handle profits, always protect the brand, and keep close the words of Walt Disney: “We love to entertain kings and queens, but the vital thing to remember is this—every guest receives the VIP treatment.” Good luck.” Bob Iger is actually ending his contract as CEO earlier than anticipated, after it was said he is ready to move on from the position.
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Fans have also been asking for a CEO who focuses on the vision of Walt Disney for years now, so the advice to keep Walt Disney’s words close is unsurprising. For this same reason, fans often mentioned D’Amaro as their hopeful replacement when discussing the CEO search.
Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Josh D’Amaro at the 2023 Destination D23 fan convention.
As for Bob Iger’s strategy? It’s left an interesting history with the company. Iger first retired from the company in 2020 before returning in 2022 when Bob Chapek was removed from the position. Since returning, he’s ushered in some major changes, like Disney’s upcoming 7th theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, which raised concerns for many fans. As D’Amaro takes over the position, he will now be tasked with the consequences of these actions as well as decisions connected to them.
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We’re eager to see what kind of legacy D’Amaro creates as he takes over the CEO role on March 18th, 2026. What we do know is that he has support from at least two former Disney CEOs, with Iger saying, “Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the right person to become our next CEO.” We are sure this leadership change will usher in a new era for the company, one that we will be watching closely. Be sure to keep following DisneyFoodBlog for more Disney news, updates, and more.
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