[ad_1]
Geoff Morrell, employed by Walt Disney this yr to run its communications and authorities affairs groups, is leaving the corporate following its contentious battle with Florida’s governor over the so-called “Don’t Say Homosexual” invoice.
Morrell, who had beforehand run communications at BP and the US protection division, was one of the crucial high-profile exterior executives introduced in by Disney chief government Bob Chapek as he sought to place his stamp on the corporate following the retirement of his predecessor Bob Iger.
Morrell’s temporary tenure was marked by the corporate’s chaotic response to laws championed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis that restricted educating about LGBTQ points in public elementary colleges. A lot of Disney’s workers criticised Chapek for not issuing a public assertion condemning the invoice, which was enacted into legislation final month.
Days after writing in a memo that he wouldn’t publicly condemn the laws, Chapek reversed course. The U-turn landed Disney within the crosshairs of DeSantis, who has taken up cultural controversies as he seeks re-election this yr. Final week DeSantis signed a invoice to revoke Disney’s decades-old capacity to control the world across the Walt Disney World theme park, a transfer broadly seen as retaliation over the corporate’s criticism of his LGBTQ insurance policies.
Morrell’s temporary was meant to be broader than that of his predecessor, Zenia Mucha, the communications veteran identified for her bare-knuckle method to public relations.
Morrell’s twin roles will now be divided into two jobs. Kristina Schake, who has had roles within the Biden and Obama administrations and was additionally deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential marketing campaign, will run communications for the corporate. In a employees memo, Chapek praised her “strategic method and collaborative model”.
Authorities relations will likely be led by Horacio Gutierrez, Disney’s normal counsel.
In a short memo seen by the FT, Morrell mentioned: “After three months on this new position, it has turn into clear to me that for a variety of causes it isn’t the appropriate match. After speaking this over with Bob, I’ve determined to depart the corporate to pursue different alternatives.”
[ad_2]
Source link