A day after Disney announced parks boss Josh D’Amaro as its new CEO, the company held a global employee town hall meeting to rally the troops behind the new management regime.
The Disney Town Hall featured ABC News anchor David Muir, who moderated a conversation with outgoing CEO Bob Iger and D’Amaro, alongside Dana Walden, newly appointed to the role of president and chief creative officer.
“To be invited into a room two days ago and have Bob and [Disney chairman] James Gorman on the other side of the door asking me to be CEO, it’s surreal. A lot goes through your head in that moment,” D’Amaro said at the town hall. “I got a little embarrassed. I got a little choked up when they let me know, because it’s a big responsibility.”
Iger said the pick of D’Amaro as CEO “represents progress and change, which is critical, and it’s the result of a very healthy process. Closure is wonderful, and to be able to hand this job and this company over to someone that I’ve grown to like and respect and appreciate over the years is a great feeling.”
D’Amaro’s appointment as CEO — which the board affirmed in a unanimous vote — will be effective as of Disney’s annual meeting on March 18. At that point, Iger will transition to serving as senior adviser and a member of the Disney board until his retirement from the company on Dec. 31, 2026.
“I feel great about this process. I feel great about the choices,” Iger said. “I leave with a tremendous sense of confidence in both Josh and Dana and optimism about the future of this company.” He added, “The board was left with some great options. The great news about it was the board had great choices.”
Iger added, “Josh has an acute appreciation of what this company means to the world. He has tremendous energy, great curiosity, great EQ, and a deep respect for creativity and creators.”
D’Amaro praised Walden, who has served as co-chair of Disney Entertainment overseeing TV and streaming. “Dana has so much experience in Hollywood, in television, and in creativity,” he said. “She’s incredibly creative, incredibly connected with her team, quick to make decisions, and engaged all the time,” adding, “She’s a good person, and I think that partnership is only going to grow stronger.”
Walden said that she “came to Disney because I wanted to work with Bob Iger. I wanted to learn from him. His ability to hold a high bar for quality while nurturing the creative process is extraordinary.” She came to Disney in 2019 after the company completed the acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Walden took the helm of Disney’s TV studio operations before she was elevated to overseeing all TV and streaming (other than ESPN) in 2022.
Said Walden: “I spent my entire career working in storytelling with great creators, delivering stories that people love. Having the opportunity to be part of storytelling here, probably the best storytelling company in the history of business, was incredibly meaningful.”
Walden also shared an anecdote about D’Amaro helping a lost child at Disney World locate his parents. “We were at Walt Disney World, and it started pouring rain,” she said. “We came across a little boy who had been separated from his family and was sobbing. I watched Josh in action. It was as if he didn’t have to think about it. He moved quickly, calmly, and with so much care.” Walden added that “watching Josh in that moment spoke volumes. He cares deeply about every person who walks into our parks. He cares about people.”
Source: variety.com
