Kristina Schake will end her four-year run as Disney‘s chief communications officer next month as Bob Iger wraps his tenure as CEO.
Schake’s departure from the role of the Mouse House’s top communications strategist is not a surprise given the C-suite transformation under way at Disney. Earlier this month, Josh D’Amaro, a veteran of Disney’s parks and experiences unit, was elevated to the CEO, which will formally take effect on March 18 at Disney’s annual shareholders meeting. Dana Walden, at present co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, will be elevated to president and chief creative officer at the same time.
Schake, whose background is in politics and public service, came to Disney in June 2022 amid the turmoil of Bob Chapek’s two and a half years as CEO, in between Iger’s first and second stints in the job. Her predecessor, Geoff Morrell, was unpopular internally and connected to several gaffes that didn’t help Chapek’s rocky time at the helm. Schake kept a low profile but was respected internally for the depth of her experience and for establishing better coordination among the company’s many communications executives.
When Iger hastily returned to the CEO post in November 2022, there was speculation that he would make a change at the top of Disney’s communications hierarchy. But Schake won his trust.
“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,” Iger said. “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.”
Schake, who was also senior executive VP, joined Disney after working for the Biden administration as a key communications strategist related to COVID-19 pandemic issues as vaccines and other preventative measures were rolled out. Earlier, she worked as a top aide to first lady Michelle Obama during the Obama administration. She also served as deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. And she is a co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which fought against California’s same-sex marriage ban in the years before the 2015 Supreme Court decision established the legality of such marriages nationwide.
Schake’s employment contract with Disney was extended last October through June 2027. There’s no word yet on a successor.
“I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to serve the Walt Disney Company during such a pivotal chapter in its history,” Schake said. “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.”
Here are the full memos sent Tuesday by Iger and Schake to Disney staffers:
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
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