The Walt Disney Co. has found its next lead spokesperson.
The company has hired Kristina Schake to lead global communications for the company as its executive vp, reporting to chief corporate affairs officer Geoff Morrell.
Schake most recently led the national COVID-19 vaccine education campaign for the Biden administration, and before that was global communications director for Instagram. Like Morrell and Disney’s last head of communications Zenia Mucha, Schake is a veteran of politics, having worked as deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, and in the Obama White House as special assistant to the president and communications director for Michelle Obama.
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She also previously worked as the chief communications strategist for Maria Shriver when she was California’s first lady.
“I could not be more pleased to welcome Kristina to Disney and to have her leading communications for the company,” said Morrell in a statement. “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.”
Morrell joined Disney earlier this year from oil giant BP. A former ABC News correspondent, he worked as a spokesperson for the Department of Defense in the Bush and Obama administrations. While Morrell does oversee comms for Disney, he also has a wider purview. In her new role, Mucha effectively succeeds Zenia Mucha, who had led Disney’s communications until her retirement at the end of last year.
Schake joins Disney at a tense time for the company, as it grapples with the fallout from its response to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The company initially faced blowback from employees that were angry it did not take a public stand on the bill, but after reversing course and announcing that it opposed its passage, the company has been scrutinized by Florida legislators, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, who have used the company as a political punching bag.
