Disney's CMO Explains Decision Behind Marketing Layoffs

Following the news of Disney’s layoffs – which are set to impact 1,000 employees – Asad Ayaz, the company’s Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, has explained why these cuts are falling largely in the company’s marketing division. 

In a company memo, Asad shared that Disney’s marketing department has been working to design a “thoughtful go-forward structure,” that will “unlock innovation, reduce complexity and build critical capabilities”.

The goal of this, he says, was to design a marketing organisation that is “nimble and modern,” that can serve consumers in “an even more connected and seamless way”.

This, Asad says, led the company finding “overlap in some roles and functions,” and "identified new skills we need going forward”.

The layoffs reportedly included Dustin Sandoval, Senior Vice President of Global Digital Marketing, Mike Reeder, Director of Digital Marketing and the company's entire home entertainment team, which was responsible for the marketing, publicity and distribution of physical media. 

Ensuring brand consistency

Asad was appointed Disney’s first Chief Marketing and Brand Officer in January 2026 after a more than two-decade-long career at Disney. 

He previously held roles such as Chief Brand Officer and President of Marketing for Walt Disney Studios –overseeing company-wide brand efforts, alliances and events to steward Disney’s iconic brands and franchises globally.

Former CEO Bob Iger said the position was created as the company needed “a company-wide role that ensures brand consistency and allows consumers today to seamlessly interact with our wonderful products and experiences.”

At the time, Disney established a new enterprise marketing and brand organisation, designed to support a more connected approach to how Disney reaches audiences and supports wider business goals. 

Part of this involves better utilising “modern marketing tools” to improve agility and continuity for the brand and to “further enhance and innovate in the ways Disney engages consumers enterprise-wide,” says Disney.

It aligns with Disney’s broader brand strategy – which focuses on storytelling and emotional engagement, as well as delivering consistent experiences that can drive long-term value.

Fostering a technologically-enabled workforce

Josh D’Amaro, who took on the role of CEO in March, announced that the company would be laying off around 1,000 employees in an email to employees. 

In the email, which was seen by Reuters, Josh said the company needed to “constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs,” given the “fast-moving pace of our industries”.

Alongside the marketing division, these cuts are set to impact areas of the business such as the studio and television business, products and technology, ESPN and Marvel. 

The company’s last major job cuts took place in 2023, when the company announced it was cutting 7,000 jobs – around 3% of its total workforce at the time – to target US$5.5bn in cost savings. 

This move came with a restructuring of the business that saw it divided into three core areas: Disney Entertainment, Disney Parks and ESPN. 

At the time, Bob said he did not “make this decision lightly,” but that “this reorganisation will result in a more cost-effective, coordinated and streamlined approach to our operations”.