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Bob Chapek Says He Helped Pave the Way for Josh D’Amaro to Become Disney CEO
Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek is opening up about his time leading The Walt Disney Company, and one of the more interesting claims in his upcoming memoir involves current Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro. Chapek says he played an important role in D’Amaro’s rise through Disney’s executive ranks, even though reports from the end of Chapek’s tenure painted a much more complicated picture of their time working together.
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In his upcoming memoir, “Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth,” Chapek says he repeatedly advocated for D’Amaro to receive a larger role within the company. According to an advance copy reviewed by The New York Times, Chapek writes, “I consistently suggested the idea of promoting him,” adding that D’Amaro “had been a relative unknown in the corporate hierarchy before I singled him out.”
D’Amaro’s career certainly accelerated during that period. In May 2020, just a few months after Chapek became Disney CEO, D’Amaro was named Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, essentially taking over the position Chapek held before moving into the company’s top job. D’Amaro eventually became one of Disney’s most recognizable executives and was selected to succeed Bob Iger as CEO in 2026.
However, Chapek’s account comes with an interesting wrinkle. Following Chapek’s departure in November 2022, The New York Times reported that D’Amaro had considered leaving Disney amid concerns about the company’s leadership. Alan Bergman, who led Disney’s film operations, was also reportedly considering leaving. Chapek was ultimately removed by Disney’s board, with Bob Iger returning to lead the company.
Chapek’s comments about D’Amaro are part of a much larger account of his turbulent tenure as Disney CEO. His memoir argues that his removal resulted in part from actions by Iger, who had selected Chapek as his successor before returning to the CEO position less than three years later. Iger has subsequently discussed his disappointment with how the transition unfolded, while Chapek’s book presents his own perspective on the breakdown between the two executives and the circumstances surrounding his exit.
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“Behind the Castle Walls” is scheduled to be released September 29. Co-written with Don Yaeger, the memoir covers Chapek’s nearly three decades at Disney, from joining the company in 1993 through his promotion to CEO just before the COVID-19 pandemic and his eventual removal in 2022. With Chapek finally telling his version of what happened behind Disney’s corporate castle walls, his relationship with Iger and his role in developing executives such as D’Amaro are likely to be among the book’s most closely watched topics.
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