The executive joined The Walt Disney Company in June 2022, and her departure anticipates a C-suite shakeup when Josh D’Amaro becomes CEO next month.
CCO Kristina Schake Leaving Disney
Bob Iger will officially step down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company on March 18, 2026, handing the reins to Josh D’Amaro during Disney’s annual shareholders meeting. Variety reports that, alongside Iger’s departure, Chief Communications Officer Kristina Schake will also leave the company on the same date. The Walt Disney Company issued a press release announcing the news shortly afterward.
Schake joined the company in June 2022 under Bob Chapek, who was later fired in November 2022. When Iger returned to temporarily helm the company in the wake of Chapek’s ouster, Schake earned his trust and retained her executive position.
While Schake’s employment contract with Disney was extended last October through June 2027, her departure alongside Iger’s does not come as a total surprise. More executive announcements are expected when D’Amaro officially assumes leadership.
Before joining Disney, Schake had an extensive career in politics. She worked for the Biden administration as a key communications strategist, as a top aide to First Lady Michelle Obama during the Obama administration, and as deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Additionally, Schake co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
Here is the memo Schake sent to Cast Members announcing her departure:
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
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