Disney has promoted April Carretta to vice president of communications, reporting to chief communications officer Paul Roeder. As part of the expanded role, Carretta will be responsible for day-to-day communications for Dana Walden. Walden assumed the newly created role of president and chief creative officer last month, reporting to CEO Josh D’Amaro.
Mr. Carretta most recently served as communications director for Disney’s direct-to-consumer business and technology and product teams. In her new role, she will continue to lead PR for these areas, while also adding responsibility for Disney’s gaming business (currently under Walden rather than Disney Experience).
Lauder, who took over as Disney’s head of public relations last month under D’Amaro, announced Carretta’s promotion and other changes to the company’s public relations organization in a memo to employees Thursday, a copy of which was obtained by Variety.
“As Josh and Dana begin to shape the next chapter of our company, I have been thinking about the role communication plays in helping our company succeed and, just as importantly, the people who make it possible,” Roeder said in the memo. Mr. Lauder previously served as Vice President of Communications for Disney Entertainment Studios, Direct-to-Consumer and International.
Other updates to Disney’s communications team outlined by Lauder:
David Jefferson, vice president of communications, will continue to lead day-to-day corporate communications efforts, including public relations, media relations and corporate social responsibility. She will now lead Disney’s international communications team and work with regional communications leaders Belina Tan (Asia Pacific), Amy Holland (EMEA) and Felicitas Castrillon (Latin America), each of whom will continue to report to their respective regional presidents and now also report to Mr. Jefferson. Mimi Fung, vice president of communications, will join Caretta’s team to support Disney’s international content communications, working alongside Eric Schrier, president of Disney Television Studios, and Joe Earley, president of direct-to-consumer, Disney Entertainment. Carrie Brown, senior vice president of internal communications, will now report to Lauder and continue to lead company-wide employee communications and engagement efforts and provide internal communications support to Disney’s corporate functions. Mariana Vaca joins Lauder’s team as director of communications for the entire Disney communications team across the company. Vaca previously served as Director of External Communications for Walt Disney Studios.
The heads of communications for Disney’s business segments will remain unchanged, but there will be some changes to the reporting structure.
Alanna Hall Smith, Vice President of Communications and Public Relations for Disney Experience, will continue in her role and will report dually to Thomas Mazloum, recently appointed Chairman of Disney Experience, and to Lauder. Josh Krulewicz, EVP of ESPN Communications, will continue to dual-report to ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Roeder. Naomi Bulochnikov, vice president of communications for Disney Entertainment, will continue to lead communications for Disney Entertainment Television, including advertising, and will dual report to Debra O’Connell, chairman of Entertainment Television, and Lauder. Brigitte Osterhaus, vice president of communications, will continue to lead communications for Disney’s platform and distribution organization, with Bulochnikov and Krulevitz now reporting dually. Erin Barrier, Walt Disney Studios’ senior vice president of communications, was recently promoted to the role, with Lauder dual reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Bergman.
