Disney’s new CEO Josh D’Amaro once aimed to be a sculptor. He acknowledges that saying ‘I don’t know’ is one of the most important phrases in his career

The extensive search for a successor has come to an end — and the next CEO will be a former sculptor who has become an executive.

That is — the chairman of Disney Experiences, overseeing the company’s theme parks, cruises, and consumer products — will assume the leadership of the nearly $200 billion company next month.

D’Amaro has spent almost three decades climbing the corporate ladder at Disney, but taking over Main Street USA wasn’t always part of the plan. The 54-year-old has stated that uncertainty, rather than a master plan, has guided much of his career.

After growing up in Massachusetts, D’Amaro enrolled at Skidmore College with the intention of becoming a sculptor. But one night at the end of his sophomore year, D’Amaro found himself welding a 12-foot sculpture at 2 a.m., grappling with a very adult question: How would he ever support a family as an artist?

D’Amaro completed the piece — an abstract human figure reaching toward the sky — but soon made the executive decision to switch to a new career. He transferred to Georgetown University and pursued an undergraduate degree in business administration.

“In my mind, I was going to be an artist — I was painting, sculpting, and studying art while also dabbling a bit in business,” D’Amaro said last year. “I loved it, but I realized I didn’t know what the heck I was going to do when I graduated.”

That early moment of uncertainty would go on to shape his leadership philosophy. D’Amaro has revealed that he doesn’t believe in pretending to have all the answers: Some of his most significant growth has come from admitting when he doesn’t.

“The moment you say, ‘I don’t know,’ is one of the most liberating, freeing, and invigorating feelings you can have,” D’Amaro added. “Moreover, people respond to it. They want to talk to you, offer advice, and engage with you. You’re not only empowering yourself but also empowering the people around you.”

An early career misstep may influence how D’Amaro approaches the CEO position

D’Amaro began in 2024 from his office on Disney’s studio lot in Burbank, Calif., where a sketch of Cinderella’s castle hung on one wall and five black-and-white photographs of Walt Disney lined another — a daily reminder of the legacy and opportunity before him.

“I look past my computer at those photographs every day,” he said, “to remind myself of the responsibility I have.”

That sense of stewardship is likely to shape how D’Amaro approaches his new role as he prepares to officially take over from Iger on March 18. But he isn’t likely to implement sweeping changes on day one. Instead, he approaches every new role with the same mindset: Start by listening.

“There’s a certain weight to a business card with a title on it. You start to assume that identity, but that’s not who you are,” D’Amaro told Georgetown students. “Now, every time I enter a new job, I say, ‘I don’t know.’ But I know you do, and I know I can help.”

That lesson came to D’Amaro from an early career misstep — when he gave incorrect advice to employees at his first meeting after a major promotion.

“Afterwards, I asked the senior leaders: ‘Why didn’t anyone say anything?’ And they said: ‘You didn’t ask.’ I didn’t even pause to say, ‘Hey, I’m just Josh. I don’t really know what the hell I’m doing.’ If I had said that, the room would’ve come alive,” D’Amaro said. “They would’ve said: ‘We’ve got 10 ideas no one’s heard yet — let’s go.’”

Ultimately, being open to the unknown, the Disney CEO said, has significantly shaped his career and his life.

“One of the things I tell my kids is: ‘Just say yes.’ If someone offers you something a bit unfamiliar, say yes. There’s so much serendipity in life — you’ve got to open yourself up and explore,” D’Amaro said. “Everything is never perfectly aligned… Sometimes you just have to take a leap and go for it.”

Disney’s new CEO is set to follow in the big footsteps left by Bob Iger

D’Amaro is stepping into one of the most prominent jobs in media and into the shadow of a leader long associated with Disney.

The new CEO and the outgoing executive Iger are “eerily similar,” as reported, pointing to their similar demeanor and strong identification with the Disney brand. They even share the same birthday: February 10.

This comparison also highlights the significance of the role. Iger first served as CEO from 2005 to 2020 but was brought back in 2022 after the rocky tenure of his successor. In excelling at the top job, Iger was known for his , often starting his day at 4 a.m. and working late into the evening. His ties to the company date back nearly five decades, working for an ABC station in Ithaca, N.Y. — years before Disney acquired ABC in 1996.

Although the role comes with huge expectations, it also offers great rewards. D’Amaro’s total compensation package is expected to be about $38 million. In contrast, Iger earned just over $45 million in compensation in 2025 — up over 45% from his $31 million package in 2023, according to The Walt Disney Company’s .

Iger attributes his success to three things: hard work, great mentors, and great luck. He has also made it clear that leadership is about earning respect — not seeking approval.

“If you try to run a popularity contest, then you won’t make the tough decisions,” Iger said at in 2019. “I think you have to be fair, accessible, and communicative — but popularity isn’t one of them.”

For D’Amaro — who already has a — the task now is to carry on that legacy while defining his own era, balancing continuity with change at a crucial moment for the company.