Why Josh D'Amaro won out in the Disney battle with 'sharp elbowed' Dana Walden

Josh D'Amaro has been named CEO of The Walt Disney Company, while Dana Walden was named president and chief creative officer. Walden had been viewed as the other top candidate and would have been Disney's first female CEO; she has led the company's TV operations since Peter Rice left in 2022.

Walden, a former Fox executive who once said 'At Fox, I always joke, we were raised by wolves,' is known inside Disney as a savvy operator who can wield 'sharp elbows' and is a fixture in the industry and Democratic politics. D'Amaro, by contrast, has spent much of his career outside the Hollywood bubble and lives in Orange County.

D'Amaro's Experiences division recently posted record profits, accounting for 38% of Disney's total revenue and 71% of its operating income, and some on the board viewed him as the more qualified candidate.

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