Réorganisation MAJEURE et HISTORIQUE de The Walt Disney Company

Citation :

Disney Layoffs Reach the Animation and Kids Divisions

Disney’s series of 7,000 layoffs, which began in late March, has now reached its animation and kids divisions. Disney TV Animation’s SVP of Current Series, Khaki Jones, is leaving after 13 years with the studio. Jones supervised all series and short-form content produced for Disney’s linear channels and Disney+. Also on the chopping block are Claire McCabe and Meghan de Boer, VP and Executive Director of the Kids Unit, respectively. Both execs were promoted only a year prior to develop unscripted kids’ projects based on existing Disney IPs.

Le nouveau campus régional Disney de 60 acres à Lake Nona, situé à vingt miles de Walt Disney World Resort, a été annulé !

“Compte tenu des changements considérables intervenus depuis l’annonce de ce projet, notamment une nouvelle direction et l’évolution de la conjoncture économique, nous avons décidé de ne pas poursuivre la construction du campus” a annoncé Josh D’Amaro, président de Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, aux Cast Members de The Walt Disney Company.

Le campus devait accueillir plus de deux mille Cast Members de la division Disney Parks, Experiences and Products actuellement basés en Californie (dont une grande majorité d'imagineers de Walt Disney Imagineering).

L'annonce ne fait pas que des heureux car au cours des deux dernières années, de nombreux Cast Members ne souhaitant pas déménager en Floride ont démissionné, tandis que d'autres ont déjà troqué leur maison ou appartement californien pour un nouveau logement à proximité d'Orlando.

Josh D'Amaro a promis que l'entreprise fournirait une assistance aux Cast Members qui finalement resteront ou retourneront en Californie et vont maintenant devoir repartir à la recherche d'un logement du côté de Los Angeles pour eux-mêmes et leur famille.

Beaucoup de stress, de temps perdu et d'argent dépensé pour rien.

D'un autre côté, l'annulation du campus permet une économie de près d'un milliard de dollars à The Walt Disney Company, le coût de construction de la première phase du campus était en effet estimé à plus 900 millions de dollars.

Le déménagement qui devait débuter en juillet de l'année dernière et s'étaler jusqu'à la fin de l'année en cours avait déjà été reporté à l'année 2026 avant de passer aujourd'hui à la trappe.

Le mémo envoyé par Jos D'Amaro, Président de la division Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, aux Cast Members concernés :

Citation :

Team,

I wanted to let you know that we’ve just begun communication regarding our updated plans for the Lake Nona campus.

As many of you know, the company had decided to build a new Disney campus in Lake Nona and many Cast Members, Imagineers, and Employees were asked to commit to making a move to Florida. While some were excited about the new campus, I know that this decision and the circumstances surrounding it have been difficult for others.

Given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions, we have decided not to move forward with construction of the campus. This was not an easy decision to make, but I believe it is the right one. As a result, we will no longer be asking our employees to relocate. For those who have already moved, we will talk to you individually about your situation, including the possibility of moving you back.

It is clear to me that the power of this brand comes from our incredible people, and we are committed to handling this change with care and compassion. I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business. We have plans to invest $17 billion and create 13,000 jobs over the next ten years. I hope we’re able to do so.

We are committed to our teams who call Central Florida home and to all of our Cast Members around the world, and I want to thank you for your continued dedication to Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and for delivering world-class entertainment for our Guests.

Josh

Et la communication de Jeff Vahle, Président de Walt Disney World Resort :

Citation :

Dear Community Leaders,

Today, you may have heard the news that Disney is no longer moving forward on the construction of a new campus in the thriving and growing community of Lake Nona in Orlando. Since we first announced this project, several dynamics have changed, including a change in company leadership and evolving economic and business conditions.

Regarding our world-class destination, our desire is to continue investing in our core business in an effort to attract and welcome millions of visitors to Walt Disney World and Central Florida each year so they can enjoy the kind of hospitality our region is known for around the world. Our plans currently call for us to invest $17 billion in Walt Disney World over the next 10 years and create 13,000 new jobs to continue doing our part as a leading employer in the hospitality and themed entertainment industry. We hope those plans will become a future reality.

For decades, we have operated our business responsibly and being the region’s largest taxpayer, we paid and collected over $1.1 billion in state and local taxes during last year alone.

As the largest single-site employer in Central Florida, we are deeply rooted in this community, and we continue to make investments for the betterment of our region such as our contribution of 80 acres of land to create affordable and attainable housing for our community, which we announced last year. Groundbreaking on this development is targeted for next year, with the first of 1,400 units anticipated to be completed in 2026.

We also continue to invest in our community through our broad array of philanthropic and citizenship efforts. Over the last 20 months, we’ve provided $6.5 million in grants to locally based, non-profit organizations such as Give Kids The World, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Conservation Florida, Heart of Florida United Way, Hope Partnership, The Nature Conservancy and more. This is on top of the donation of millions of hours of time that our Cast Members have contributed to deserving organizations over the decades.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the amazing dedication of the 75,000 Cast Members who call Central Florida their home. To them, we offer the best overall benefits package in the Central Florida hospitality industry, including an $18 minimum wage by the end of the year – which is well above the state’s minimum wage – affordable medical coverage, subsidized childcare, access to free higher education through Disney Aspire our 100% paid tuition programs, and pathways to help Cast at every step of their career.

While today’s decision was not easy, we remain committed to our Cast Members as well as you and our wonderful community.

Sincerely,

Jeff Vahle
President
Walt Disney World Resort

Sur fond de combat avec le Gouverneur de Floride Ron DeSantis, on relèvera l'allusion aux 17 milliards d'investissements et 13 milles emplois créés sur une période de dix ans récemment envisagés, allusion qui sonne quelque peu comme une menace lorsqu'elle suit directement l'annulation du campus floridien :


"I hope we’re able to do so." (Jos D'Amaro, Président de la division Disney Parks, Experiences and Products).

"We hope those plans will become a future reality." (Jeff Vahle, Président de Walt Disney World Resort).

18 dollars de "minimum wage" contre 12 dollars pour la Floride. Effectivement c'est bien au delà. Un commentaire de Disneyland Paris?

75 personnes chez Pixar ont été licenciés, dont Angus MacLane, réalisateur de Buzz l'Éclair et dans le studio depuis 26 ans, et Galyn Susman, qui avait sauvé Toy Story 2 grâce à la copie qu'elle possédait. C'est la plus grosse coupe dans les effectifs depuis 2013, durant laquelle 30 personnes avaient été licenciés.

Reuters a écrit:

Exclusive: Walt Disney's Pixar targets 'Lightyear' execs among 75 job cuts

June 3 (Reuters) - Walt Disney's (DIS.N) Pixar Animation Studios has eliminated 75 positions including those of two executives behind box office disappointment “Lightyear,” sources said on Saturday, the first significant job cuts at the studio in a decade.

The cuts included "Lightyear" director Angus MacLane, a 26-year animator who was part of the senior creative team on such acclaimed films as “Toy Story 4” and “Coco.” Galyn Susman, producer of "Lightyear," also departed. Susman had been at Pixar since the release of the original “Toy Story” movie in 1995.

MacLane and Susman could not be reached for comment. Michael Agulnek, Pixar's vice president of worldwide publicity since 2015, was also laid off, the sources said. He did not return a call seeking comment.

The cuts, which took place May 23, are part of Walt Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger’s previously announced plan to eliminate 7,000 jobs and slash $5.5 billion in costs. That restructuring combined the film and television groups into a single Disney Entertainment unit and eliminated a division charged with distribution.

While small compared to Pixar's employee base of about 1,200, the layoffs are notable because the studio is a creative force generating franchises and characters that drive revenue across Disney.

Pixar is famous for cinematic franchises including “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles” and “Cars.” But “Lightyear,” released a year ago with a reported budget of $200 million, brought in a modest $226.7 million in worldwide ticket sales and received a mixed critical reception.

By contrast, Pixar's "Incredibles 2" in 2018, which was reported to have had a similar production budget, had worldwide box office sales of $1.2 billion.

“Lightyear” could not be shown in 14 Middle Eastern and Asian countries because of its depiction of a same-sex relationship. This had an impact on its box office performance.

Disney has implemented layoffs in every division including film and television, streaming services and theme parks.

The last time Pixar cut jobs was in 2013, after the studio postponed the release of the 2015 film “The Good Dinosaur,” and removed its director, Bob Peterson. About 30 positions were eliminated.

Disney acquired Pixar in 2006 to revitalize its struggling Disney Animation.

Les gouts du public, sont prioritaires dans une société capitaliste....

La restructuration de l'entreprise se poursuit avec la vente de KRDC 1110 (anciennement Radio Disney) situé à Pasadena et desservant le Grand Los Angeles, une vente qui marque par la même occasion la fin de l'implication de Disney dans la radio, réorientant désormais ses activités de médias et de divertissement autour de ses plateformes de streaming et d'autres services de contenu "direct au consommateur".

À son apogée, The Walt Disney Company possédait plus de quarante stations de diffusion AM et FM aux Etats-Unis.

Citation :

Disney sells its final radio station for $5 million.

After more than three decades of supporting AM and FM radio stations, the Walt Disney Company officially ended its tenure as a radio broadcaster this week.

At its peak, Disney owned more than 40 AM and FM broadcast stations

On Monday, Disney filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a transfer of license after reaching an agreement to sell its Los Angeles-based AM station KRDC (1110 AM) to religious broadcaster Calvary Costa Mesa.

The deal will include lease agreements for several broadcast towers that KRDC uses to transmit its programming, as well as a low-power FM translator that covers parts of Pasadena.

Flounder69 a écrit:

75 personnes chez Pixar ont été licenciés, dont Angus MacLane, réalisateur de Buzz l'Éclair et dans le studio depuis 26 ans, et Galyn Susman, qui avait sauvé Toy Story 2 grâce à la copie qu'elle possédait. C'est la plus grosse coupe dans les effectifs depuis 2013, durant laquelle 30 personnes avaient été licenciés.

Reuters a écrit:

Exclusive: Walt Disney's Pixar targets 'Lightyear' execs among 75 job cuts

June 3 (Reuters) - Walt Disney's (DIS.N) Pixar Animation Studios has eliminated 75 positions including those of two executives behind box office disappointment “Lightyear,” sources said on Saturday, the first significant job cuts at the studio in a decade.

The cuts included "Lightyear" director Angus MacLane, a 26-year animator who was part of the senior creative team on such acclaimed films as “Toy Story 4” and “Coco.” Galyn Susman, producer of "Lightyear," also departed. Susman had been at Pixar since the release of the original “Toy Story” movie in 1995.

MacLane and Susman could not be reached for comment. Michael Agulnek, Pixar's vice president of worldwide publicity since 2015, was also laid off, the sources said. He did not return a call seeking comment.

The cuts, which took place May 23, are part of Walt Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger’s previously announced plan to eliminate 7,000 jobs and slash $5.5 billion in costs. That restructuring combined the film and television groups into a single Disney Entertainment unit and eliminated a division charged with distribution.

While small compared to Pixar's employee base of about 1,200, the layoffs are notable because the studio is a creative force generating franchises and characters that drive revenue across Disney.

Pixar is famous for cinematic franchises including “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles” and “Cars.” But “Lightyear,” released a year ago with a reported budget of $200 million, brought in a modest $226.7 million in worldwide ticket sales and received a mixed critical reception.

By contrast, Pixar's "Incredibles 2" in 2018, which was reported to have had a similar production budget, had worldwide box office sales of $1.2 billion.

“Lightyear” could not be shown in 14 Middle Eastern and Asian countries because of its depiction of a same-sex relationship. This had an impact on its box office performance.

Disney has implemented layoffs in every division including film and television, streaming services and theme parks.

The last time Pixar cut jobs was in 2013, after the studio postponed the release of the 2015 film “The Good Dinosaur,” and removed its director, Bob Peterson. About 30 positions were eliminated.

Disney acquired Pixar in 2006 to revitalize its struggling Disney Animation.

Je trouve ça honteux. Se faire virer parce qu'un film n'a pas bien marché. Vous produisez des films à gogo, y en a forcément dans le lot qui ne vont pas être bon! Ou qui ne vont pas marcher même s'ils sont bons.
Heureusement qu'ils n'avaient pas viré Ron Clements et John Musker après "La planète au trésor" qui n'avait pas bien marché du tout dans mon souvenir.

C'est le cas dans toutes société capitaliste, c'est la loi du marché!
Dans la publicité une campagne qui marche mal, c'est le licenciement et la perte du budget.

Je n'ai pas a dire qui mérite de se faire virer et je ne connais pas la compétence de ce réalisateur mais j'ai trouvé le film buzz très mauvais.
Ce qui n'était pas le cas de la planète au trésor

Buzz, je l'ai trouvé très mauvais aussi.
Mais quand on voit tout le boulot qu'ils ont fourni depuis 20 ans, ça fait mal!

Il me semble que tu travaille pour l'éducation nationale.Les règles du privé sont beaucoup plus dure, pour ma part j ai été viré après 18 ans dans la même société de publicité car avec mon salaire l'employeur pouvait engager 3 jeunes.
(La société était américaine)

Ah oui quand même....

Latondra Newton, CDO (Chief Diversity Officer), quitte à son tour The Walt Disney Company. 

Latondra Newton était directrice diversité, équité et inclusion depuis son arrivée chez Disney en 2017. 

Julie Merges assure l'intérim jusqu'à ce qu'une nouvelle directrice diversité, équité et inclusion soit nommé. 


https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/disneys-chief-diversity-officer-latondra-newton-exits-1235650198/

Citation :

Stephanie Azam Out as Head of Content for Disney+ Canada

Stephanie Azam is no longer the head of content for Disney+ Canada, Variety has learned. The executive was let go as part of the company’s recent reorganization after less than a year on the job, and amid news that Disney+ has paused original commissions in Canada.

Several other positions were eliminated as a result of the reorganization. Jason Badal remains in place as the VP and general manager of Disney+ in Canada. Sources indicate the company is still looking at Canadian originals, although the timeline surrounding any such commissions is unclear.

Last September at a Content Canada conference, Badal indicated the streaming service was in search of Canadian content for the Star component of Disney+ (an amalgamation of Hulu, FX and Fox content that hasn’t been distributed to other Canadian broadcasters). Azam was in the audience at the time and still new to the role. Still, Badal revealed her email for those in the room who wanted to send pitches.

https://variety.com/2023/global/news/stephanie-azam-out-disney-plus-canada-1235658414/

Jonnie Davis quitte ABC Signature, il y occupait la fonction de président depuis 2019.

Citation :

ABC Signature President Jonnie Davis Exiting

Jonnie Davis is leaving ABC Signature.

Davis has been President of the Disney-owned studio since 2019.

He said it has been a “privilege” to work on shows such as ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, FX’s Fleishman Is In Trouble and Hulu’s This Fool.

The move, however, is not a precursor to merging ABC Signature and 20th Television and, despite a multitude of rumors, they will continue to operate as two separate divisions. The company is currently searching for a replacement for Davis.

Davis’ departure is a surprise given how close he has been to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden.

When he moved from 20th Television to ABC Signature, he was able to lure a handful of big-name talents across with him include Drew Goddard and Octavia Spencer.

Davis took over the role of President of ABC Studios in July 2019, four months after Disney’s $71.3B of key Fox assets and the departure of then-President Patrick Moran.

He has overseen the company that makes ABC’s The Good Doctor, The Rookie and Station 19; Onyx Collective’s Reasonable Doubt and UnPrisoned; Apple TV+’s Five Days at Memorial and Bad Sisters; and Paramount+’s Criminal Minds: Evolution.

The company is also behind Amazon’s The Wilds, Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere and Tiny Beautiful Things, MGM+’s Godfather of Harlem, ABC’s The Rookie: Feds, and Nat Geo’s A Small Light.

The studio has deals with the likes of Alec Berg, Kerry Washington, Liz Tigelaar, Drew Goddard, Tony McNamara, Yara Shahidi, Natasha Rothwell, Phoebe Robinson, Bruce Miller, John Ridley and Tracee Ellis Ross.

Before becoming President of ABC Signature, Davis was President, Creative Affairs of 20th Century Fox Television (now 20th Television). He joined in 2008 as SVP Comedy Development. He helped develop shows such as NBC’s This Is Us and ABC’s Modern Family as well as its expansion into animation with Solar Opposites and Central Park.

Prior to that he was VP Comedy Development at Fox, having started in unscripted with shows such as The Simple Life, Joe Millionaire and American Idol.

https://deadline.com/2023/07/abc-signature-president-jonnie-davis-exiting-1235431826/

Louise Pentland rejoindra The Walt Disney Company le 15 septembre, elle assurera la fonction de Conseil en chef pour le segment Disney Parks, Experiences And Products.

Dans ce rôle, Louise Pentland supervisera toutes les questions juridiques et réglementaires relatives aux activités du segment, notamment les six resorts aux États-Unis, en Europe et en Asie; Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, les activités mondiales des produits de consommation Disney, Disney Publishing Worldwide et ShopDisney.

Citation :

Louise Pentland Named Chief Counsel For Disney Parks, Experiences And Products

Louise Pentland has been named Chief Counsel for the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), effective September 15. Pentland, who previously served as Chief Business Affairs and Legal Officer at PayPal, will report to Horacio Gutierrez, Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of The Walt Disney Company, and act as a strategic advisor to Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and his executive leadership team.

In this role, Pentland will oversee all legal and regulatory matters for the segment’s businesses, including six theme park-resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; an award-winning guided family adventure business; and Disney’s global consumer products operations, which include the world’s leading licensing business across toys, apparel, home goods, digital games and apps; the world’s largest children’s print publisher; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.

“Louise Pentland is a highly accomplished legal executive with more than two decades of experience serving at the highest levels of innovative global companies,” said Gutierrez. “Her broad expertise working with complex business, regulatory and compliance matters around the world and her track record as an exemplary leader make her a superb addition to the leadership team at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.”

“This is an exciting time to join The Walt Disney Company and I’m honored to be part of a business that brings so much joy to people across the globe – myself included,” said Pentland. “I’ve long admired Disney Parks’ reputation as a global leader in tourism and consumer products, along with its exceptional history of innovation and growth, and I’m looking forward to taking on this role and helping advance the organization’s ambitious goals for the future.”

At PayPal, Pentland served most recently as EVP, Chief Business Affairs and Legal Officer, and was responsible for the company’s global People, Legal, Communications, Intellectual Property, Government Relations and Social Innovation functions, with oversight over all financial, regulatory and legal requirements worldwide. She led stakeholder engagement to promote PayPal’s reputation globally through corporate affairs initiatives and oversaw the company’s People function, including diversity and inclusion initiatives, workforce planning, employee relations, compensation, benefits, leadership excellence, culture, pro-bono initiatives and ESG.

Prior to PayPal, Pentland was Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Nokia Corporation, where she directed the company’s legal and government affairs functions, M&A and IP management, for which her team was named Europe’s most innovative in-house legal team by the Financial Times in 2011.

Pentland has served as a member of Hitachi Ltd.’s Board of Directors since 2015, Pacific Life’s Board of Directors since 2020 and Experian PLC’s Board of Directors since 2022. Additionally, she was named to the Board of Directors of the non-profit Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) in 2021.

Pentland holds an undergraduate law degree from Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Northumbria University. Pentland is licensed to practice law in the U.S., England, Wales and Europe.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/louise-pentland-named-chief-counsel-for-disney-parks-experiences-and-products/

Le message de Barbara Bouza, Présidente de Walt Disney Imagineering sur le départ : 

Barbara Bouza a écrit:

Proudly building upon our extraordinary legacy, Imagineers are shaping a future that inspires humanity. As one global team of innovative creators and storytellers, we immerse our guests in experiences that make memories of a lifetime.

As a licensed architect I was recruited by The Walt Disney Company to challenge the norm and bring broader global industry perspective and expertise. Joining Walt Disney Imagineering in June of 2020, I truly believed humanity needed Disney more than ever. The world was trying to understand the impact of a global pandemic, business disruption, stay at home orders, a reckoning on race, and the growing political divide. From there Imagineers endured the pressures of talent reductions, unprecedented hyper-escalation on projects, political crosshairs, and the need to make life changing decisions with their families around the relocation from California to Florida.

Through all of this, Imagineers relentlessly created and delivered some of the most impactful projects in the history of The Walt Disney Company. This success has fueled the turbocharged growth of Disney Experiences through $60 billion in investment over the next 10 years that Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro speak of. So I want to take this moment to personally thank all Imagineers, past, present and future for making the impossible possible.

It is bittersweet as I wrap up my work as President of Walt Disney Imagineering this month before I create an even bigger impact for world. Stay tuned! WDI will be in excellent hands with my partner, Bruce Vaughn, Chief Creative Officer, who is an exceptional creative leader.

“There’s really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious.”  Walt Disney