Latondra Newton
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Disney’s chief diversity officer is leaving the entertainment company after a six-year tenure.
Latondra Newton, who joined the Burbank-based studio in February 2017 after leading Toyota’s integration efforts, is leaving Disney “to pursue other endeavors,” HR director Sonia Coleman wrote in a memo Tuesday.
Newton is scheduled to join the board of another company as part of her departure from Disney. The search for a new leader for diversity, inclusion and justice efforts is coming.
The manager’s tenure at Disney has coincided with Hollywood’s increasing (and stagnant) efforts to increase industry representation on and off the screen. Newton led Disney’s DEI initiatives in coordination with senior executives across the company. After the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, the CEO was one of three names – along with then-CEO Bob Chapek and Bob Iger – who signed a letter to employees entitled “Resolution in a Time of Trouble,” promising “to really make a difference.”
Shortly thereafter, Disney donated $5 million to the NAACP and social justice organizations and, following the promotion’s announcement in 2020, launched a platform, Reimagine Tomorrow, to increase representation and track DEI updates. The company donated $140 million to charitable causes in fiscal 2022, among numerous other DEI efforts, to underrepresented communities.
The departure is the latest departure by Disney’s executive team following last November’s reorganization that saw Chapek’s ouster and Iger’s return. The company has been in restructuring mode this year as Iger consolidates divisions and introduces cost cuts and pink slips for 7,000 employees. On June 15, CFO Christine McCarthy, who has been with the studio for more than two decades, announced that she was taking a leave of absence and leaving the position for family reasons.
Coleman’s full memo from Tuesday is below (Variety previously reported the exit):
To our extended DEI and HR team,
I am writing to let you know that Latondra Newton has decided to leave The Walt Disney Company to pursue other endeavors.
Since joining the company in 2017, Latondra has led the company’s strategic diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, including working with stakeholders across the company to spread people’s stories across the world. She is committed to ensuring that everyone sees themselves and their life experiences represented in a meaningful and authentic way.
I know you all join me in thanking Latondra for her many contributions, including the lasting impact she has had on our people and our culture. Working with all of you and so many others, she has inspired countless cast and staff members to create lasting change and help create a world where we can all feel safe and where we all belong.
Latondra’s direct reports will report to Julie Merges on an interim basis pending the determination of a new DEI head. I would like to thank Julie for leading this team along with her Talent Acquisition organization. In addition, Shelby Curry and DEI’s internal communications team will continue to report to Carrie Brown in her role as head of internal communications and engagement for the company.
Thank you all for your continued contribution to our DEI efforts. I know we can count on you to drive this important work forward during this leadership transition.
Thankful,
sonia