After less than four months, there is another change in the communications watch at the Walt Disney Company.
Struck by the ongoing battle with Florida Gov. and POTUS 2024 hopeful Ron DeSantis, as well as internal disagreements, Geoff Morrell is absent as the House of Mouse’s chief corporate affairs officer.
CEO Bob Chapek sent a memo to employees today announcing Morrell’s departure. “I am writing to inform you that Geoff Morrell, our Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, is leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities,” the CEO said succinctly, before proceeding to name the former Pentagon spokesman’s successors. See the full Chapek memo below.
Morrell also sent an email on Friday. “After three months in this new role, it’s become clear to me that it doesn’t fit for a variety of reasons,” he told his team.
Kristina Schake, Biden administration insider and Disney’s latest addition, will split Morrell’s role and handle Disney’s communications efforts. The company’s General Counsel, Horacio Gutierrez, will oversee government relations and global public policy. Additionally, EVP Corporate Social Responsibility Jenny Cohen will now report directly to Chapek as Disney tries to figure out where it stands and who it’s donating to.
The loss of Morrell also reveals the cracks in what has been a pretty solid wall of Chapek loyalists. Or rather, to paraphrase Disney’s Encanto, we’re not talking about Florida — unless we have to talk about Florida.
Morrell’s exit was riddled with a constant storm of corporate missteps over Disney’s silence and then ever-shifting position on the Sunshine State’s discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” law and later legislative abolition of Disney World’s self-governing status in recent weeks as an issue of when not seen. Despite the dark clouds outside, Disney employees who are members of the LGBTQ+ community reacted sharply to what was seen as leaving by Chapek, Morrell and top leadership. Some responded in the corridors of power, while others took their dismay onto the streets and the internet – an extremely rare display for a company with a culture of keeping things behind closed doors.
With Republicans and Fox News smearing Disney with phrases like “grooming” and turning the company into an election pinata in the latest iteration of culture wars, the hope at the highest level is that Morrell’s ouster and the new reorganization will allow the media giant to do so emerge from under the falling debris of the current situation.
In the final days of Bob Iger’s reign in December, Morrell was announced to succeed Disney’s longtime and tenacious senior EVP and chief communications officer, Zenia Mucha. As former theme parks boss Chapek tried to put his own stamp on the company he had served for so long, GOP and BP vet Morrell was seen as a clear indication of the direction the CEO was taking the good ship Disney wanted to control.
Now that Morrell is out without blood, can the new communications team help their boss avoid more apparent icebergs?
Here is Chapek’s memo to staff:
Team-
I am writing to share the news that Geoff Morrell, our Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, is leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities. Fortunately, the strength and experience of our existing leadership team – including relatively recent All-Star employees – means there is no shortage of talent to lead our reputation-building functions. With Geoff’s departure, I am pleased to announce the following changes:
First, Kristina Schake will lead the communications activities of The Walt Disney Company, reporting directly to me as our Executive Vice President, Global Communications. In this expanded role, Kristina will oversee corporate and segment communications and continue to be our key spokesperson. Our heads of business segment and content communications will continue to report to both division leadership and corporate communications, which is now led by Kristina.
We are incredibly fortunate to have Kristina with us at this important time. Her 30+ years of experience includes roles leading President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine awareness program, communications for Instagram, and leadership roles in Obama’s political campaigns and White House. Kristina has a strategic approach and a collaborative style, as well as unrelenting optimism and a strong appreciation of our brand and its place in the world. These qualities will be invaluable as she works to protect and enhance our reputation, and I look forward to working more closely with her.
Next, Government Relations and Global Public Policy are now led by our General Counsel, Horacio Gutierrez. Since joining the company earlier this year, Horacio has seamlessly integrated into the Disney family and has quickly become a valued advisor to me and the leadership team on a variety of topics. His extensive experience leading these areas will help us advance our efforts.
In addition to his current direct reporting, Susan Fox, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, and Yvonne Pei, Senior Vice President, External Relations, Greater China, will report directly to Horacio, along with Dorothy Attwood, Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy.
Finally, Jenny Cohen, Executive Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, will now report exclusively to me in her role as leader of our CSR and ESG efforts. Jenny is a strong leader and has done incredible work to modernize our approach in key areas such as environmental sustainability, community investment and philanthropy.
I have incredible confidence in this team and look forward to working with them and all of our leaders to set Disney’s course for the next 100 years of exceptional entertainment and experiences.