Walt Disney Studios has promoted veteran publicist Melissa Stone to senior vice president of publicity, placing her in charge of global publicity strategy across the company’s film studios and Disney+.

Melissa Stone Named Disney Studio Publicity Chief

Stone will lead the studio publicity team and oversee public relations strategy for Disney Live Action, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios. Her responsibilities will also include Disney+ streaming series produced by the studios.

She will report to Martha Morrison, president of marketing at Walt Disney Studios. Morrison spoke highly of Stone in the hiring announcement:

“I’m thrilled to have Melissa step into this role. She brings more than two decades of exceptional publicity experience, a deep network of talent and media relationships, and a proven ability to lead campaigns that drive both audience engagement and cultural impact. I look forward to seeing her lead publicity across our incredible Studios portfolio.”

Stone has spent 14 years in publicity positions across 20th Century Fox and Disney. Before this promotion, she served as vice president of global publicity at Walt Disney Studios. She previously held a senior publicity role at 20th Century Fox.

Her campaign credits include Avatar: The Way of Water, Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch and The Little Mermaid, The Martian, West Side Story, Andor, and the Planet of the Apes franchise.

In her expanded role, Stone will oversee publicity for a theatrical slate that includes Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Hexed, and Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday. Future campaigns are expected to include Ice Age 5, Star Wars: Starfighter, The Simpsons Movie 2, Frozen III, and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Stone’s promotion follows a broader restructuring of Disney’s marketing operations. Earlier this year, Disney established a new company-wide marketing leadership structure under Chief Marketing and Brand Officer Asad Ayaz. The company subsequently eliminated several marketing and publicity positions as part of approximately 1,000 layoffs announced in April.

What do you think of Disney’s latest leadership appointment? Let us know on social media.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Walt Disney Studios Promotes Melissa Stone to Senior Vice President of Publicity appeared first on WDW News Today.