Feb 2 (Reuters) – The board of Walt Disney is close to promoting theme-park division chairman Josh D’Amaro to chief executive officer and will vote on naming a new leader next week, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Succession planning at the media conglomerate has been under scrutiny from investors after Disney delayed CEO Bob Iger’s retirement several times before bringing him back in 2022 to replace his handpicked successor, Bob Chapek, after the pandemic hobbled its business.
D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, oversees Disney parks and resort hotels in the United States, Europe and Asia, according to the official website.
“The board has not yet selected the next CEO of the Walt Disney Co. and once that decision is made, we will announce it,” a Disney spokesperson said in an emailed statement, according to Bloomberg.
Iger has told associates he plans to step down as CEO and pull back from daily management before his contract expires on December 31, the Wall Street Journal reported last month, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the entertainment giant’s board was planning to meet next week at its headquarters in Burbank, California, where they are expected to vote on who should replace Iger.
Disney said in 2024 that it would announce a replacement for Iger in early 2026, marking the first time the storied media and entertainment company had formally announced a timetable for succession.
Reuters previously reported that D’Amaro was among the contenders for CEO, an executive with Iger-like charisma whose portfolio includes the company’s most significant revenue engine, its theme parks.
(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim in Barcelona; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Diane Craft)
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