Paul Holmes 02 May 2022 // 8:46AM GMT
LOS ANGELES — Disney chief communications officer Geoff Morrell, who joined the entertainment giant from BP at the start of the year, is leaving the company, saying the position was “not the right fit for me and not the right move for my family.”
Morrell’s tenure at Disney coincided with the company’s high-profile conflict with Florida Governor Ron De Santis over the state’s attack on gay and trans rights.
Having provided financial support to De Santis and other proponents of the state’s “don’t say gay” bill, which restricts discussion in Florida schools, Disney chief executive Bob Chapek initially indicated tacit approval of the bill, telling employees in a memo that the company would not issue a statement because "they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame."
But the company eventually recognized the importance of “standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country” and indicated that it would work for the law’s repeal, or its defeat in the courts, triggering an angry response from the state.
It is not clear what role the Florida controversy played in Morrell’s decision. In a LinkedIn post, he said only: “After three decades in the professional world—across media, government and big corporations—I can now more easily recognize what's a good fit and what's not. Unfortunately, after just three months in the newly-created role as chief corporate affairs officer for The Walt Disney Company, it has become clear to me that for a number of reasons it is not the right fit for me and not the right move for my family.
“I am resigning from the company to pursue other opportunities and I wish everyone I worked briefly with at Disney nothing but the very best.”
Morrell, one of PRovoke Media’s Influence 100, was responsible for corporate communications, global public policy, covernment relations, CSR and ESG teams at Disney, a slightly broader role than his predecessor, Zenia Mucha.
The job will reportedly be split into two parts. Horacio Gutierrez, Disney’s general counsel, will lead government relations. Kristina Schake, who was previously deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and served in the Obama administration as special assistant to the president and communications director to the first lady, will lead communications.
Schake joined the company last month as head of global communications.