What I learned working with Josh D'Amaro

I worked at Disney for about 15 years — from 2008 to 2016 and again from 2018 to 2024 — moving from a sales intern to roles in hospitality, global projects, and retail technology. In several positions I reported directly to Josh D'Amaro, and seeing him move from hands-on theme-park operations to CEO felt personal and inspiring.

He led with common sense, welcomed input, and stayed calm under pressure. As he transitioned between roles, he balanced awareness of how changes affected his teams with duties to shareholders and the public, all while remaining collected. Josh made himself visible and approachable: he kept up appearances, smiled, and presented himself positively.

People responded because he seemed to understand their daily work; he wasn’t seen as just “a suit” but as someone disarming and respectful who took the time to acknowledge others. He was consistently clean-cut, which signaled confidence and self-care, and he could deliver bad news with empathy and clear facts.

josh d'amaro, disney, ceo, theme parks, leadership, hospitality, retail technology, operations, approachability, empathy