Kristina Schake

EVP Global Communications
The Walt Disney Company
US

Disney’s comms function has seen its share of tumult since the departure of Zenia Mucha, the company’s formidable CCO and corporate comms leader who left the storied company at the end of 2021 after nearly 20 years. In April 2022, Mucha’s successor, former BP comms chief Geoff Morrell, stepped down from his role leading corporate affairs, saying the position was “not the right fit.” His exit role coincided with Disney’s high-profile conflict with Florida Gov. Ron De Santis over the state’s attack on gay and trans rights.

With Morrell’s exit, Kristina Schake, who joined Disney just a month before, assumed leadership of global communications — half of the duties that previously belonged to her former boss. General counsel Horacio Gutierrez took on oversight of government relations. Managing the reputation of a company consistently in the spotlight has its challenges. Earlier this year, Disney won its high-profile proxy fight with activist investor Nelson Peltz, who sought two seats on the company’s board of directors. More recently, the company angered the disabled community after restricting participation in a program that enables people with disabilities to avoid waiting in traditional lines.

Schake spent three decades working in government, media, business, entertainment, and technology before joining Disney. Most recently, she led the Biden administration’s Covid vaccine education campaign and was Instagram’s global communications director before that. Schake previously was 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.