The Walt Disney Co.’s top communications executive is leaving the company.
Kristina Schake, the senior executive VP and chief communications officer of Disney, will exit the company at the end of March. Schake joined Disney in 2022.
The executive, who signed a new long-term deal with Disney a few months ago (alongside essentially all top Disney executives that had reported to outgoing CEO Bob Iger), will exit at the end of March, shortly after Iger officially steps aside.
Josh D’Amaro will succeed Iger as CEO and Dana Walden will be elevated to president and chief creative officer in connection with Disney’s annual meeting on March 18. The company will announce Schake’s successor at a later date.
“Kristina is an accomplished and respected communications leader, and Disney has been fortunate to have her expertise and insight during a dynamic period that has demanded strategic clarity and judgment,” said Iger in a statement. “Kristina is a skilled strategist, a trusted advisor, and an admired leader whose positive impact on Disney will be lasting. She strengthened how the company aligns communications with business and strategic priorities, ensuring critical stakeholder audiences are engaged with discipline and purpose. I am grateful for her partnership and friendship, her counsel, and her innumerable contributions.”
“I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to serve The Walt Disney Company during such a pivotal chapter in its history,” added Schake. “The company I joined in 2022 was in a vastly different place from where it is today, both reputationally and from a business perspective, and I am proud of the work our worldwide communications team has done to support Bob as he has put Disney on a steady course for growth for the next generation of leaders. With that mission now successfully completed, I’m looking forward to my next challenge. Working alongside Bob, his management team, and so many exceptional communications professionals has been a privilege I will carry with me forever, and I leave with tremendous respect for this institution and great confidence in Disney’s future under Josh D’Amaro and Dana Walden.”
Iger and Schake also sent memos to staff about the change Tuesday. You can read them below.
Iger’s memo:
Dear Fellow Employees and Cast Members,
I’m writing to share that Kristina Schake, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, will be departing The Walt Disney Company after March 18, coinciding with the end of my tenure as Chief Executive Officer.
Since joining Disney in 2022, Kristina has been an accomplished and respected leader and trusted advisor throughout a period of significant change for our company and our industry. Disney has been fortunate to have her expertise and wisdom during the most consequential moments over the past four years.
Beyond her strategic expertise, Kristina has built and strengthened Disney’s outstanding global communications function into the world-class organization it is today, positioning it as a critical partner to our businesses and leaders. I am personally grateful for Kristina’s partnership and friendship, and for the lasting impact she has made at Disney. Please join me in thanking her for her leadership and wishing her the very best in her next chapter. We will share more information about future communications leadership in due course.
Sincerely,
Bob
Schake’s memo:
Team,
I wanted to write to you directly and simply say thank you. Working alongside this outstanding communications team has been one of the great privileges of my career.
The past four years have been among the most consequential in our company’s history, and I could not be more proud of how you showed up for every moment. You brought clarity, creativity, and thoughtful strategy to the work, helping to communicate and advance Bob’s strategic priorities in ways that employees, investors, reporters, and consumers could understand and believe in.
As Disney begins its next chapter, the company is fortunate to have outstanding leaders in Josh and Dana guiding the way. I am excited to see the stories you will help tell and the impact you will continue to have as that chapter unfolds. This team’s talent, care, and creativity are exactly what this moment calls for, and I know you will shape what comes next in remarkable ways.
With gratitude,
Kristina
