One of the most highly scrutinized succession sagas in Hollywood history came to a close yesterday when The Walt Disney Company announced that Josh D’Amaro will succeed Bob Iger as the company’s next CEO.
D’Amaro was selected following an extensive search process that included over 100 internal and external candidates.

Photo: The Walt Disney Company
In the end, however, the race narrowed to just two contenders — the Disney Experiences Chairman and Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden.

Photo: Disney
Ultimately, Disney chose D’Amaro. Walden, however, will remain with the company as its new President and Chief Creative Officer.
The Decision Has Been Roundly Praised
In the aftermath of Disney’s announcement, everyone from Michael Eisner to Nelson Peltz and Bruce Vaughn has weighed in on the decision.

Photo: Disney
By and large, D’Amaro has been lauded by his peers.
Now, Jeff Vahle, President of Walt Disney World, has broken his silence.
Jeff Vahle Calls D’Amaro the “Real Deal”
One day after Josh D’Amaro was named Disney’s next CEO, Jeff Vahle took to LinkedIn to congratulate the longtime Disney Experiences Chairman.

Photo: Disney
“Josh D’Amaro is the real deal, someone who genuinely connects with people, with strong leadership and a passion to carry Disney into the future. And as you can see from this photo, he is not afraid to have a little fun at work,” Vahle wrote.
“All of us at Walt Disney World congratulate Josh and send our best wishes as he begins his journey as CEO of The Walt Disney Company.”

Photo: @abigail_the_fun_princess on Instagram
Vahle’s comments are particularly interesting, as the President of Walt Disney World is seen as one of the possible candidates to replace D’Amaro as Chairman of Disney Experiences.

Photo: Jeff Vahle on LinkedIn
Perhaps we will see Vahle reporting to D’Amaro again soon.
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