Disney notes that the next CEO will take over a company with strong momentum

Disney Ready for its next CEO.

On Monday, the company’s leadership explained its recent successes during its quarterly earnings report. CEO Bob Iger has made it clear that when his soon-to-be-named successor takes up the baton, Disney will be ready to seize the momentum.

“I am extremely proud of everything we have accomplished over the past three years to put Disney on a path to continued growth,” Iger told investors on Monday. “I am inspired and motivated by the opportunities ahead for this great company.”

Iger regained the CEO role in late 2022 after a failed succession plan involving former parks chief Bob Chapek. Disney tapped Chapek to succeed Iger in 2020, but fired him two and a half years later and reversed many of the changes he implemented.

Now, Disney is counting on a smoother delivery the second time around, backed by a path to growth.

Disney’s board meets this week and is expected to vote on the next CEO, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity about internal matters. The company previously said it would announce a replacement for Iger in the first quarter of this year.

“I think what’s noteworthy is that when I came back three years ago, I had an enormous amount that needed to be fixed,” Iger said in a phone call Monday. “But anyone who runs a company also knows that it can’t just be about fixing it. They must prepare the company for its future and actually put it into action, but take the necessary steps to create opportunities for growth.”

Disney on Monday beat Wall Street expectations for revenue and profits for the fiscal first quarter.

The company’s experiences division, which includes parks, resorts and cruises, generated more than $10 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time. Disney Experiences president Josh D’Amaro is among the front-runners to be named the next CEO.

Iger said he is “very optimistic” about the theme park business and its ability to grow. Disney is now planning to develop a theme park and resort in Abu Dhabi, launch more cruise ships, and is in the midst of a previously announced $60 billion investment in its theme parks over the next decade.

Meanwhile, Disney’s entertainment segment — the unit that includes network television, streaming and theatrical releases, and which has arguably needed the biggest turnaround in recent years — saw revenue rise 7% in the period. Disney held off on streaming subscriber growth this quarter, but provided guidance that showed Disney was confident it would continue to grow and offset traditional TV declines.

While its parks, resorts and cruises have been Disney’s profit driver, its television, streaming and film businesses are often the focus. After disappointing years at the box office, Disney has dominated 2025, and on Monday its leadership announced its next plan.

“If we look back just a few years when our movie business was suffering from Covid, and obviously the streaming business wasn’t in an acceptable place, obviously the future of those two businesses, or let’s call it our entertainment business, is also bright and will grow,” Iger said on the company’s earnings call.

Disney entertainment co-president Dana Walden is also among Iger’s aides vying for the CEO seat, CNBC previously reported.

Morgan Stanely’s former CEO, James Gorman, has been running the process of selecting a successor. Given the focus on theme parks in recent years, speculation has recently swung in D’Amaro’s favor.

“In a world that is changing as much as we are changing…trying to maintain the status quo was a mistake,” Iger said Monday, addressing Disney’s latest leadership transition.

“And I’m sure my successor will not do that,” he said. “I think they will be given a good hand in terms of the strength of the company, a number of growth opportunities and also the expectation that in a world that is changing, you also have to continue to change and evolve as well.”