The Walt Disney Company is going through some major job cuts right now, which were announced by CEO Bob Iger earlier this year during an earnings call.

©Disney

Iger recently sent a memo to Disney employees announcing that the first of those job cuts would begin this week. We’ve already seen job cuts eliminate an entire division of the company, and the proposed Amazon Prime-type membership program has been scrapped as well. Now, several people in executive positions are leaving Disney as the job cuts continue.

Deadline reported that Disney’s job cuts will involve “a consolidation of production operations across Disney TV Studios, Hulu, Freeform, and FX.” These different operations will merge, and some executive roles within each one have been eliminated.

©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters

So far, Mark Levenstein (SVP Production for Hulu), Jayne Bieber (SVP Production Management & Operations for Freeform), and Elizabeth Newman (VP of Development based at 20th Television and overseer of Creative Acquisitions for Disney Television Studios) will be leaving as their positions are cut. The studio operation’s Creative Acquisitions Department is being dissolved, and “its functions will be absorbed by the studios.”

©Hulu

The Creative Acquisitions Department was started back in 2021. Its purpose was to find upcoming and bestselling media (such as books and podcasts) and secure rights so that the stories could be developed by any of Disney’s several platforms, such as Disney+, Hulu, etc. It was initially run by Newman and Jordan Moblo (Moblo left to join Netflix and later Universal Studios Group).

Disney+ Billboard

Bieber has been with Disney for fourteen years, initially as a producer at the Disney Channel before stepping into the role of VP and then SVP of Production Management and Operations for Freeform.

Carol Turner, EVP and Head of Production for ABC Signature, will be “taking on an expanded role.” Nissa Dierderich (20th Television EVP and Head of Production) and Nick Lombardo (SVP and head of production for FX) will now report to her as “Network and Platform production for scripted television across Disney Entertainment is being consolidated under [Turner].”

©Variety via The Headshot Truck LLC

This is just the first round of job cuts at Disney. The second round of notifications for the job cuts will go out in April. This is expected to result in a larger number of job cuts, “with several thousand more staff reductions.” The final round of notifications is expected to go out before the start of the summer. That’ll get Disney to its target of 7,000 job cuts.

Disney

In a memo to employees, CEO Bob Iger shared, “The difficult reality of many colleagues and friends leaving Disney is not something we take lightly. This company is home to the most talented and dedicated employees in the world, and so many of you bring a lifelong passion for Disney to your work here.” He offered his thanks to those who will be departing the Company.

Bob Iger ©New York Post

According to CNBC, the layoffs will impact various departments at Disney, including media and distribution, parks and resorts, and ESPN. Previously, however, Josh D’Amaro (Chairman of Parks, Experiences, and Products) indicated that Disney anticipated those working hourly frontline roles in operations would NOT be impacted.

Cast Members doing water art

We’ll continue to watch for more news, and we anticipate learning more about the job cuts in Disney’s annual shareholder meeting just a few days away (on April 3rd). Stay tuned to DFB for the latest updates from Disney.

Click here to read Bob Iger’s full memo to employees about these job cuts.

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