Make-A-Wish America has announced the addition of Scooter Braun, CEO and board member of HYBE America and founder of SB Projects, and Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, to the national board of directors following the national board meeting on Feb. 3. Braun and D’Amaro are two of the most influential leaders at the intersection of entertainment and business. Each will bring his unique skills and respective expertise across areas of business expansion, strategy development, talent management, and more to the Make-A-Wish mission to deliver the life-changing impact of a wish to more children with critical illnesses.
As Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, D’Amaro oversees Disney’s iconic travel and leisure businesses, including six theme park-resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; an award-winning guided family adventure business; and the global consumer products operations, which includes the world’s leading licensing business across toys, apparel, home goods, digital games and apps; the world’s largest children’s print publisher; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform. Josh leads a cast of more than 150,000 people – and since Disney is the world’s largest wish granter, many cast members interact with Make-A-Wish families regularly. In total, the Walt Disney Company has helped to grant more than 145,000 wishes worldwide since 1980. D’Amaro continues the Disney legacy of top executives supporting the wish-granting organization through voluntary service on national, global and chapter boards.
“Both Disney and Make-A-Wish understand what a positive impact hope, imagination and happiness can have on the lives of seriously ill children,” said D’Amaro. “It’s an honor to represent the thousands of Disney cast members worldwide who create magic and help make wishes come true every day for these amazing families.”
“I can’t think of another time when we’ve had two board members with more hands-on experience with wish granting than Scooter and Josh,” said Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “Through their companies, they’ve both been able to see repeatedly that wishes can play an important part in the healing process, frequently serving as a turning point in a child’s medical journey.”
The national board is made up of 24 members with diverse backgrounds and skills who can lend support in mission-critical areas such as human resources, finance, fundraising, management, marketing and operations. By leveraging the skills of some of the nation’s most talented business leaders, Make-A-Wish can get closer to its vision of granting the wish of every eligible child – an important goal considering that many children credit the wish experience with helping to save their lives.
Along with the national board, Make-A-Wish has 58 chapters nationwide – each with its own chapter board of directors.
To learn more about Make-A-Wish and to get involved, visit wish.org.
