Heather Hust Rivera is leaving The Walt Disney Company after working there for nearly two decades. Her most recent position is as Disney Senior Vice President of Communications. Variety learned of Hust’s departure and reported on it.
“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,” Hust Rivera said in a statement to Variety. “I wish the team nothing but the best, and look forward to what the next chapter holds.”
The departure comes after the departure of Kareem Daniel. Hurst Rivera served as his chief communications representative. It also comes as CEO Bob Iger is beginning the process of restricting Disney again after the firing of Bob Chapek by The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors. Chapek had reorganized the company created the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, or DMED. Kareem Daniel headed up this segment. Iger sent a memo to Disney employees saying DMED would be changed and that Daniel had resigned.
Following the resignation of Daniel, it comes as no surprise that his top lieutenants would also be departing. Arthur Bochner also departed since Chapek was dismissed.
Hust Rivera was named to her most recent role at DMED in March 2021. In the position she oversaw global communications for all of DMED. She also oversaw communications for ABC owned-stations, advertising sales, Disney Music Group, content licensing and distribution, and also theatrical film distribution.
Her career with Disney has found her doing multiple different publicity roles for park and resorts. She eventually moved on to lead all of Disney’s video, web, and social media teams for corporate functions. She has also worked for Disney’s consumer products, games and publishing division as the vice president of communications and public relations. Before working at Disney, she worked at the United States Mission to the United Nations.
