A number of changes have impacted Disney’s executive leadership team in recent months, and now more changes are taking place.
©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters
Bob Chapek left the CEO position in November of 2022, and Bob Iger returned to the CEO position. Since then, we’ve seen a number of executives leave, and others announce their return. Plus, Iger announced a major restructuring of some of the Company’s departments. So what’s happening now? Well, it seems the leadership team is changing again.
Disney has announced that Sonia Coleman has been named to a new position — Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at the Walt Disney Company. That change will go into effect on April 8th.
Most recently, Coleman was Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Disney Entertainment and ESPN. She will succeed Paul Richardson, who will be leaving Disney after more than 15 years with the Company.
©Disney
In her new role, Coleman will report directly to CEO Iger and will be responsible for a number of things including leading Disney’s HR strategy, leading their leadership development, and more.
Iger shared, “Sonia is widely respected across the company as a gifted leader and strong advocate for our employees.” He also thanked Richardson for his work with Disney and “his contributions to numerous ongoing initiatives, including our Heroes Work Here veterans hiring program.”
©Disney
Coleman responded to the new title by saying “It is truly an honor to be named to this role, and I am grateful for the confidence that Bob has placed in me…Disney is unrivaled because of the talent, dedication, and enthusiasm of our cast members and employees. They are the key to our success, and I look forward to being their greatest champion.”
Coleman has been with Disney since 2008 and has worked in a variety of roles including Senior Vice President — Human Resources for Disney General Entertainment and Vice President — Human Resources for Disney Consumer Products. She also has had experience at The Children’s Place and The Home Depot.
Walt Disney Company Headquarters ©LA Times
She has a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational leadership from Chapman University and a Master of Science degree in human resource management from Florida International University.
We’ll continue to look for more details about upcoming changes at Disney and let you know what we find. Stay tuned for the latest news!
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Who is your favorite member of Disney’s executive leadership team? Tell us in the comments.
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Disney has lost its way and more than one executive needs to leave. The company is no longer guest focused…it is profit focused. Something needs to change drastically starting with the food.