Disney Cuts 1,000 Jobs in New CEO's First Major Restructuring
Josh D'Amaro eliminated roughly 1,000 positions across marketing, studios, and Marvel in his first significant action since succeeding Bob Iger, consolidating the company's marketing functions under a single enterprise organization.
The Walt Disney Company began notifying approximately 1,000 employees of their termination on Monday, the first major restructuring under CEO Josh D'Amaro, who took over from Bob Iger on March 18.
"Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney," D'Amaro wrote in a memo to staff. "I know this is hard. Those that will be leaving us have done meaningful work here and care deeply about this company."
The cuts are concentrated in marketing, where Disney has been consolidating disparate teams into a single enterprise organization since January. But they also reach into Marvel's production, publicity, and creative divisions — touching nearly every part of the company except Pixar.
The restructuring behind the cuts
The layoffs trace directly to a January 14 announcement that created a unified enterprise marketing and brand organization under Chief Marketing and Brand Officer Asad Ayaz. Disney positioned the restructuring as a way to connect shared marketing capabilities across its three business segments: Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences.
In practice, unifying marketing functions that previously operated independently within each segment meant eliminating redundant roles — marketing staff in studios, television networks, ESPN, product and technology, and corporate groups whose work now overlaps with the centralized team.
Where the cuts landed
The deepest reductions fell in three areas:
Publicity and marketing communications. Roughly 20 positions were eliminated, including the entire home entertainment publicity team and the electronic press kit (EPK) team. Disney's New York film publicity department was spared.
Digital marketing and creative advertising. Positions were cut at every level, from senior vice presidents to directors. Among those let go was Steve Nuchols, who had overseen Disney's print advertising campaigns for 25 years.
Marvel. The division experienced cuts across most areas — film and television production, comics, franchise, finance, and legal. Disney disputed reports that 8% of Marvel's staff was affected, calling the actual number "much smaller." The reductions stem from a shrinking film and television production slate.
What it signals
D'Amaro framed the cuts as necessary for building "a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce," citing the "fast-moving pace" of the industries Disney operates in.
At roughly 1,000 out of Disney's approximately 225,000 total employees, the reduction represents less than half a percent of the company's workforce. But its concentration in marketing and creative functions — rather than parks, streaming technology, or content production — signals a specific bet: that a centralized marketing operation can do the work of several decentralized ones.
Disney shares closed at $102.59 on Monday, up 7.1% from a week earlier, roughly in line with the broader market's recovery over the same period.