INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

The Man Who Told SXSW ‘Disney Was Always a Tech Company’

Now Leads the $94.4 Billion Empire

Josh D’Amaro’s CEO Appointment and What It Means for the Global EnterTech Landscape — Including K-Content

Josh D’Amaro, incoming Disney CEO  |  Photo: Good Morning America / ABC

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On February 3, 2026, The Walt Disney Company — $94.4 billion in annual revenue, 220,000 employees — named Josh D’Amaro (54), chairman of Disney Experiences, as its next CEO and elevated Dana Walden to the newly created role of President & Chief Creative Officer. Across two keynote sessions at SXSW, D’Amaro had declared: “Disney’s 100-year legacy is built on the intersection of creativity, innovation, and storytelling.” The architect of 72% of Disney’s total profits now becomes the eighth CEO in the company’s century-long history — a paradigm-shifting signal that the value of content is migrating from ‘screens’ to ‘experiences.’ From a $60 billion theme park expansion and a $1 billion OpenAI partnership to the Epic Games/Fortnite universe, ESPN’s NFL equity deal, and the largest-ever Korean content slate, the D’Amaro era poses both strategic opportunities and new imperatives for the global EnterTech industry — especially K-content.

1. Iger’s Exit, the Rise of an ‘EnterTech CEO’

On Tuesday, Disney’s board of directors voted unanimously to appoint Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, as the company’s next CEO. D’Amaro will formally assume the role on March 18 at the annual shareholder meeting, where he will also join the board. Bob Iger (74) will transition to senior adviser and board member on the same date, fully retiring on December 31, 2026. D’Amaro becomes Disney’s eighth CEO — and the second consecutive leader drawn from the theme parks division.

‘테크와 콘텐츠는 만나야 한다’ — 디즈니 엔터테크 CEO 조시 다마로 시대의 개막
“디즈니가 테마파크·경험 부문 총괄 조시 다마로를 차기 CEO로 선임. 다마로 스트리밍 수익화·ESPN D2C·OpenAI와의 AI 파트너십·600억달러 테마파크 확장이라는 핵심 과제를 안긴 ‘경험 경제’ 중심의 새 체제를 열어
K-EnterTech HubJung Han

In a parallel announcement, Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, was promoted to the newly created position of President & Chief Creative Officer. Disney’s official statement called it “a historic first for the enterprise,” charged with ensuring storytelling and creative expression consistently reflect the brand across all audience touchpoints. Per SEC filings, Walden’s contract runs through March 2030; she reports directly to the CEO and oversees Disney Entertainment, Hulu, Disney+, and TWDC Marketing.