Disney’s succession race enters final stage as Iger’s reign draws to end

Company is expected to promote from within, with parks chief Josh D'Amaro and TV head Dana Walden considered leading contenders

- Ben Fritz, Isabella Simonetti & Joe Flint

Disney's board of directors has said it would announce in early 2026 its pick to succeed Bob Iger.

(AFP)

Disney’s past attempts to pick a successor to CEO Bob Iger have been less than magical.

Now the company is trying to write a happier ending.

Iger, who replaced Michael Eisner in 2005 following a shareholder revolt, has postponed planned retirement dates five times and helped push out a number of top executives poised to succeed him. Veteran insider Bob Chapek became CEO in 2020, only to be replaced by Iger himself in a dramatic 2022 corporate coup.

Disney's board of directors has said it would announce in early 2026 its pick to succeed Iger. The company is widely expected to promote from within, with parks chief Josh D’Amaro and television head Dana Walden considered the leading contenders by employees and people who work with Disney.

The two executives met with Disney’s board this summer in Orlando, Fla., to discuss their visions for the company should they become CEO, according to people with knowledge of the meeting.

Whoever is named as the next CEO is expected to work alongside Iger for a while to learn the ropes before officially taking over, according to a person familiar with the board's thinking, Iger's contract expires next December.

One of the board’s top priorities for the current succession process is to ensure there is as little drama surrounding it as possible, with no major exits or brain drain when the new CEO is picked, according to people familiar with the matter.