The Walt Disney Company has found the next CEO of its profitable and important experiences division.
Thomas Mazloum, current president of Disneyland Resort, will become president of Disney Experiences, the company says. He succeeds Josh D’Amaro, who will take over as CEO of Disney next week in connection with the company’s annual meeting.
“Thomas Mazloum is an exceptional leader with a true appreciation for our team members and a proven track record of growth,” D’Amaro said in a statement. “His focus on service excellence, extensive international leadership, and strong connection to the creativity that brings our stories to life make him the right leader to guide Disney Experiences into its next chapter.”
Mazloum D’Amaro will officially succeed next Wednesday, the same day Bob Iger hands over the keys to the kingdom to the next generation of leadership.
Mazloum has been in his position at Disneyland for a little more than a year, taking over operations of the original Walt Disney theme park last January.
Before that, he was president of Disney Signature Experiences, which includes Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii and other businesses.
In connection with Mazloum’s promotion, Disney Experiences has also made a number of other changes to its senior leadership: Jill Astorino will become president of the Disneyland Resort, succeeding Mazloum. She was the president of Disney Parks International. Tassia Philippatos will become President of Disney Parks International, after serving as President of Disney Consumer Products; Lisa Baldzycki will become president of Disney Consumer Products, most recently serving as head of theme park and retail product development for the division.
“As we look to the future, I have tremendous confidence in Thomas and in the leaders in these roles – Jill, Tasia and Lisa – along with the incredible leadership team across Disney Experiences,” D’Amaro added. “Together they will continue to build on our momentum around the world, delivering the service, creativity and one-of-a-kind experiences that define Disney.”
Disney’s Experiences division is, of course, one of the things that sets the entertainment giant apart from the rest of its competitors in the media space. They include theme parks in California, Florida, France, China and Japan, a large and growing cruise ship line, vacation club and planned communities, and luxury travel experiences.
Its operational complexity and high moat (only Universal has an experiences business on any scale, and it’s still much smaller than Disney) means the company largely has a space to itself. D’Amaro, of course, cut his teeth in testing before being named Bob Iger’s successor.
But it’s also where Disney exploits its vast library of intellectual property to great effect, keeping characters and franchises created decades ago relevant to today’s consumers and families, despite its theme parks and high-margin consumer products business.
In the company’s 2025 fiscal year, Disney Experiences generated revenue of $36.2 billion and segment operating income of $10 billion, generating profits greater than those of the company’s entertainment and sports divisions combined.
This profit drive is also why Disney has committed to spending $60 billion through 2033 on expanding the division with new attractions, lands, hotels and cruise ships. Now it will fall to Mazloum to implement the expansion that Damaro started.
“We are in an unprecedented period of growth for Disney experiences,” D’Amaro said. “This team will bring the world-class experiences that Disney is known for to even more guests around the world.”
