Disney Executive Leaves After Nearly 20 Years Following Bob Iger's Return as CEO

Bob Chapek is out. Bob Iger is back. And BIG changes are already taking place.

©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters

We’ve taken a look at how Iger’s return has impacted stock values, organizational changes that are set to take place now that Iger is back, and whether Iger will reverse some of Chapek’s biggest decisions. But Iger’s return seems to also be having an impact when it comes to some executives.

A few Disney executives have left the Company following Iger’s return to the CEO position, and now another has joined the list. According to Variety, Heather Hust Rivera will be leaving the Disney Company, after nearly 20 years of working with the Company. Hust Rivera is senior vice president of communications at DMED (Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution).

In a statement to Variety, Hust Rivera said “I’m grateful for the incredible opportunities I have had in the past 17 years at Disney, working across multiple businesses with some of the industry’s hardest working, most talented, and amazingly creative people…I wish the team nothing but the best, and look forward to what the next chapter holds.”

©Disney

Hust Rivera was named to her role as senior vice president of communications for DMED in 2021. According to Disney’s website, under that role, she oversaw global communications for ALL of DMED — that includes Disney+, ABC, Disney Channel, and more. Before that, she served as Vice President of Communications for Disney Consumer Products, Games, and Publishing.

The Hollywood Reporter points out that Hust Rivera’s departure isn’t all that surprising, because she was the chief communications representative for Kareem Daniel.

Just one day after Iger’s return was announced, Kareem Daniel, a “top lieutenant” for Chapek (per the Hollywood Reporter) left Disney. Daniel was predicted to be one of the first to go as Iger makes moves to adjust some of the strategic direction and organization at Disney.

©Business Wire via CNBC

Under Chapek, Disney massively restructured its media and entertainment business to focus on streaming. With this new structure, there were the “creative engines” — focused on making new content, while “distribution and commercialization activities” were centralized in the Media and Entertainment Distribution organization (DMED). That is the section Daniel was in charge of and for which Hust Rivera was the senior vice president of communications.

Upon his return, Iger shared that he would be taking steps to design a new structure that “puts more decision-making back in the hands of our creative teams and rationalizes costs, and this will necessitate a reorganization of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution.”

©CNBC

But Hust Rivera and Daniel aren’t the only ones to leave Disney in recent weeks. Executive Arthur Bochner also left on November 26th. Bochner was Chapek’s former vice president of strategic communications and lead speechwriter.

Who will be next to depart the Disney Company as Iger brings organizational changes to DMED and potentially more of Disney? Only time will tell.

We’ve got a multitude of articles that take a DEEP dive into what’s going on at the Walt Disney Company right now, what Iger’s return could actually mean for ordinary guests, and more. Check out our posts below:

Stay tuned for more updates on the Disney Company.

Click here to see what Bob Iger had to say on Walt Disney’s birthday

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!

With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs!

With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.

Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today!