Paul Roeder named chief communications officer of The Walt Disney Company
Published on 3/12/26 by Craig Smith
The Walt Disney Company has named Paul Roeder senior executive vice president and chief communications officer, handing one of its most visible corporate roles to a 25-year Disney veteran at a pivotal moment for the company. Disney announced March 12 that Roeder will officially step into the job on March 19, reporting directly to incoming CEO Josh D’Amaro.
The appointment is a significant one because the chief communications officer role sits at the center of how Disney presents itself to investors, employees, media, industry partners, and the public. According to Disney’s announcement, Roeder will lead the company’s worldwide communications and public relations strategy and operations, while also serving as Disney’s lead spokesperson. His responsibilities will span enterprise and business segment communications, along with regional communications teams across EMEA, APAC, and Latin America.
In practical terms, that gives Roeder oversight of a broad portfolio that includes media relations, executive communications, enterprise editorial strategy, internal communications and employee engagement, public affairs, and corporate social responsibility. It is a wide-ranging assignment even by Disney standards, and one that reflects how central messaging and reputation management have become for a company with major businesses in streaming, film, television, sports, theme parks, consumer products, and international markets.
Roeder is not coming into the job as an outsider. Disney said he most recently served as executive vice president of communications for Disney Entertainment Studios, direct-to-consumer, and international. In that role, he oversaw global communications strategy for The Walt Disney Studios and its collection of labels, including Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures, along with Disney Theatrical Group and Disney Music Group. He also led communications for Disney Entertainment’s direct-to-consumer group and several technology, platform distribution, and international divisions.
That background helps explain why Disney chose him now. Roeder has been leading communications for The Walt Disney Studios since 2010 and, according to the company, played a key role through several transformative periods, including the integrations of Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox, the 2019 launch of Disney+, and the rollout of major global film releases. Before that, he worked in roles of increasing responsibility in Disney corporate communications after joining the company through ABC communications in 2001.
Disney’s statement made clear that company leadership views Roeder as both an experienced operator and a known quantity across the enterprise. In the announcement, D’Amaro called him “an accomplished and highly respected executive” who has built strong relationships throughout Disney and the wider entertainment industry. Roeder, in turn, described the promotion as “a tremendous honor” and framed the role as an opportunity to help lead Disney communications during what he called an “exciting and pivotal time” for the company.
That timing matters. Roeder’s appointment comes just days before D’Amaro’s official start as CEO on March 18, part of a broader leadership transition that is already reshaping Disney’s executive structure. In recent weeks, Disney has also outlined a new leadership team for its expanded Disney Entertainment segment under Dana Walden, signaling a wider reorganization around the company’s entertainment businesses. Against that backdrop, naming a new communications chief is not just a personnel move. It is part of how Disney is building the executive group that will define its next phase.
The appointment also follows Disney’s February announcement that Kristina Schake would depart as chief communications officer, giving the company a relatively quick succession timeline for one of its top corporate posts. By elevating Roeder, Disney is opting for continuity and institutional knowledge rather than an external hire.
For Disney watchers, that may be the clearest takeaway. Roeder is stepping into the role during a period of major executive change, but his long tenure suggests Disney wants a steady hand guiding its message as the company enters a new era under D’Amaro. In a business where narrative matters almost as much as numbers, that is a consequential choice.
- News Topic: Disney Company News
