Former Obama and Biden administration staffer Kristina Schake named Executive Vice President, Global Communications of The Walt Disney Company

Apr 06, 2022 in "The Walt Disney Company"

Posted: Wednesday April 6, 2022 8:30am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Walt Disney Company has named Kristina Schake as Executive Vice President, Global Communications, reporting to Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Geoff Morrell.

Kristina Schake Executive Vice President, Global Communications of The Walt Disney Company

She will be responsible for the Company’s worldwide communications strategy and operations, while also serving as lead spokesperson. Her appointment is effective immediately.

Schake has spent three decades working in government, media, business, entertainment, and technology. Most recently, she was appointed by President Biden to lead the nationwide COVID-19 vaccine education campaign and was previously Global Communications Director for Instagram. Schake was Deputy Communications Director for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign and served in the Obama administration as Special Assistant to the President and Communications Director to the First Lady.

“I could not be more pleased to welcome Kristina to Disney and to have her leading communications for the company,” Morrell said. “Her experience in the public and private sectors, in political and corporate campaigns, make her ideally suited for this important role and to help me integrate communications with government relations, public policy, and corporate social responsibility into a new Corporate Affairs team. Together with the exceptional professionals at Disney, we will help the world’s greatest storytelling company engage even more effectively with our many stakeholders around the world.”

Said Schake, “As Disney approaches its 100th anniversary, I’m excited to lead the company’s global communications work at this pivotal moment of growth and transformation. The magical stories and experiences Disney creates enrich the lives of countless people around the world and it’s an honor for me to be a part of that, helping Bob Chapek, Geoff Morrell, and the talented teams throughout the company tell the story of Disney as it begins its second century.”

With this role, Schake is returning home to California, where she served for several years as the senior communications strategist for First Lady Maria Shriver, the Women’s Conference, and the California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities Initiative. In 2009, she co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which led the successful bipartisan public awareness campaign and legal challenge to restore marriage equality to California. She began her career working for Los Angeles Mayor Richard J. Riordan. Schake is a native of Sonoma, California, and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University.

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SirwalterraleighFeb 25, 2026

This isn’t surprising at all…she’s in the press secretary role…Iger goes - she goes. Rather academic

Andrew CFeb 25, 2026

So you are calling for a redo of Star Wars Launch Bay then? That is a pretty outrageous statement that I am contributing to you.

MisterPenguinFeb 25, 2026

Every thread is now about the stock price. I miss the days when every thread was about Star Wars.

Chi84Feb 25, 2026

But the Dow is at 50,000! 😉

monothingieFeb 25, 2026

Let’s just take a look at the stock price and how it’s performed relative to the broader market averages to be the judge of that… oh right, can’t put lipstick on a pig.

Jambo DadFeb 25, 2026

Don’t let the door hit you on your rump on your way out. What a resume! She has been working in a make-believe world for two decades.

monothingieFeb 25, 2026

DCBakerFeb 24, 2026

Disney announces Kristina Schake will depart the company after March 18: The Walt Disney Company today announced that Kristina Schake, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, will depart the company after March 18, 2026, coinciding with the end of Bob Iger’s tenure as Chief Executive Officer. Schake, who joined Disney in 2022, has served as a member of the company’s senior management team and advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors, helping to advance Disney’s business and strategic objectives, strengthen its long-term positioning, and navigate a period of significant change for the company and the broader industry. “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,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “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.” “I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to serve The Walt Disney Company during such a pivotal chapter in its history,” said Kristina Schake. “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.” Schake’s counsel and communications leadership have been integral to maintaining clarity, consistency, and confidence among employees, partners, investors, consumers, and other key stakeholders during a period of sustained complexity for the business and the industry. During her four years at the company she has shaped the communications strategies for the company’s most consequential moments, including Iger’s return as CEO in November 2022; Disney’s decisive defeat of two proxy challenges; the achievement of profitability in streaming and the integration of Hulu into Disney+; the announcement of a new theme park resort in Abu Dhabi; the launch of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer offering; and the selection of Josh D’Amaro as Disney’s next Chief Executive Officer and Dana Walden as President and Chief Creative Officer. Prior to joining Disney in 2022, Schake was appointed by President Joe Biden to lead the nationwide COVID-19 vaccine campaign, managing the federal government’s national public education initiative. Previously, she was Global Communications Director for Instagram. Schake has held key senior roles in government and politics, including Communications Director for First Lady Michelle Obama and Deputy Communications Director for Secretary Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Additionally, Schake co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which led the successful bipartisan public awareness campaign and legal challenge to restore marriage equality in California. The company will announce Schake’s successor at a later date.

DCBakerApr 20, 2023

"Kristina Schake, who joined Disney a little more than a year ago as EVP and Chief Communications Officer, is getting a pay raise and a contract extension. In an SEC filing, the company said it made the moves due to an “increase in her responsibilities,” though it did not elaborate. Disney said it had amended the original employment agreement it reached with Schake as of June 29, 2022. The original expiration of her contract has been extended to June 29, 2026, a year longer than the original deal. Her base salary has also been boosted to $780,000 as of April 9 of this year, with “future increases at the company’s discretion,” according to the filing. Schake’s target bonus award has also been increased to 150% of her base salary and her target long-term equity incentive annual award value upped to 350% of her base salary. A previous SEC filing said Schake’s initial salary was $725,000 and her total 2022 compensation reached $6.2 million including bonuses and stock awards." Full article below. https://deadline.com/2023/04/disney-communications-chief-kristina-schake-contract-extension-pay-raise-1235333029/

Magic Crush DropApr 12, 2022

I hope this thread gets locked.

CaptainAmericaApr 08, 2022

Wanna start a grift with me?

Wendy PleakleyApr 08, 2022

I want to see the insurance policy that refunds a trip because the company is "woke".

IDSkinnerApr 08, 2022

Sadly, this likely will be my tenth and last trip to WDW. My hope that Disney would just stay Disney and not lean in to the political fray has been dashed. Disney, you should've stayed that happy destination that all could just feel the happy and positive energy that has been Disney, but you had to suck in ABC and the far left liberal/woke air and really push this family away. In many ways my wife and I are regretting booking a vacation for this year and are contemplating using the vacation insurance that I thankfully purchased to assist in cancelling my trip and am currently exploring those options today.