Disney has found a replacement for outgoing Chief Communications Officer Zenia Mucha. Geoff Morrell will be taking on the role. He currently is the executive vice president of communications and advocacy at BP.
Morell will take on and expanded role at Disney beyond just communications role. One thing he will take on will be also be governmental relations. This role has been handled by Disney’s chief counsel and senior executive vice president Alan Braverman. Braverman is leaving Disney at the end of the year as well. Morrell’s official title will be chief corporate affairs officer, overseeing communications, government relations, public policy, philanthropy and environmental issues.
Variety reached out to Disney for comment on Morrell joining Disney but did not receive a response. It is unknown when Disney will make an official announcement on this new role for Morrell.
Morrell will be reporting directly to Disney CEO Bob Chapek. This will not his first time working for The Walt Disney Company. Earlier in his career he was a reporter for ABC, where he covered the White House. He went on to work at the Pentagon for both the Bush and Obama administrations as deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. He eventually rose to the role of chief spokesperson for Defense Secretary Bob Gates.
Morrell joined BP in 2011 and quickly rose the ranks to lead its London-based external affairs team by 2017 before being promoted to his current role.
Mucha is retiring from The Walt Disney Company after being in her current role for 20 years. Both Mucha and Braverman’s departure roughly follows outgoing Executive Chairman Bob Iger’s retirement timeline.
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