By now you have probably all heard the news! Disney has announced their next CEO!! But why is Josh D’Amaro the right choice? Well, in my opinion, there are lots of reasons to be excited about this decision. I don’t know that there is a better choice, honestly. But let’s jump into some facts!
Josh D’Amaro’s Disney Lore
The first reason why Josh D’Amaro is the right choice here is that he has really worn a lot of hats within the Disney company. Josh has been with Disney in some capacity for almost 30 years. He started in 1998 as a business strategist at Disneyland Resort. From there her worked in sales, travel trade marketing and business planning for 10 years within the company. From 2008-2010 Josh D’Amaro was the CFO of Disney Consumer Products Global Licensing. He led Adventures By Disney from 2010-2013 and was the VP of Animal Kingdom (what a cool title) from 2013-2014.
Josh D’Amaro later became the President of Disneyland (another amazing title) and lead the opening of Galaxy’s Edge there. In 2019 he became the President of Walt Disney World and was seen often in the parks! Josh was again promoted in 2020 to the Chairman of Disney Experiences and now has been announced as the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company. Talk about working through all areas and aspects of the company! The Walt Disney Company is full of people who made it better because they loved it so much and I think Josh is one of those people.
What I See That Makes Josh D’Amaro The Right Choice
Another reason why I think Josh D’Amaro is the right choice is subjective I suppose. Whenever I have heard him talk about Disney he seems to truly love it. He doesn’t feel like a business man talking about a company he works for. Josh D’Amaro seems to have more pictures with random guests than anyone else in these positions and that says something to me. He likes being in the parks. He likes seeing people enjoying what Disney offers. Has every decision he’s made over the last 30 years been winners, I am sure not! But at the end of the day I believe he is the right choice because he has a Walt Disney spirit about him. I didn’t dislike Bob Iger, he seemed to have a little of that spirit but at the end of the day seemed more focused on the money rather than the magic that makes it.
Don’t get me wrong, I get that Disney is a company and company’s have to make money. But it’s how you make that money that makes Disney different and if you don’t understand that (eh hem, Bob Chapek) you risk loosing the magic. Josh D’Amaro seems to not only understand what makes Disney different, he seems to enjoy it! Walt Disney LOVED his park and enjoyed going there. He LOVED his movies and wanted to watch them and he wanted to see other people experience and enjoy them the way he did. I this Josh D’Amaro has that same quality. That is what Disney needs. Not just someone to make the dollars and cents work but to know and understand why we all continue to spend our money with Disney.
Conclusion
I am a bit salty that I am not one of those random guests who has a picture with Josh D’Amaro! He just seems like such a nice guy who truly loves the parks and all that Disney is. At the end of the day, why Josh D’Amaro is the right choice boils down to two things for me. One, he has worked in all areas of the company for a long time and has seen things work, fail, do well and cause problems. And two, he has that Walt Disney spirit of wanting and liking to be in the parks and not shying away from the guests. I feel like both of those things are important for the CEO of The Walt Disney Company to have. I am excited for Josh to take the helm and I think he is going to do great things!! Let me know what you think and have a magical day!