Disney’s entertainment president Craig Hunegs steps down

Craig Hunegs

Walt Disney Television’s entertainment president Craig Hunegs is stepping down, just five months after a major overhaul of the company’s exec structure.

Hunegs joined Disney in 2019 having been hired prior to the acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets and initially took on a role as president of its TV studios.

The company then enacted a major overhaul of its operations, including bringing its TV and streaming operations together and launching a new distribution division, transforming the former Warner Bros. exec’s role.

Chairman of entertainment Dana Walden took on oversight of studios ABC Signature and 20th Television, while Touchstone was shuttered, and Kareem Daniel now leads the Media and Entertainment Distribution arm.

Following the months-long overhaul, Hunegs moved to become president of entertainment, leading teams including 20th Animation, an unscripted arm, business affairs, production and inclusion.

Walden said in a note to staff that Hunegs was departing because “his responsibilities have changed and his new role is no longer the one he joined The Walt Disney Company to pursue.”

Dana Walden

She added: “We’ve achieved so much over the last two years as we’ve reinvented our segment, pivoting from a traditional media brand to a content-first entertainment company built for the future and Craig has played a strong leadership role in our growth and evolution.

“He’s a gifted executive, who has also done an excellent job of thoughtfully leading our teams during two years of significant change at our company and in our industry, especially in successfully guiding our productions safely through the COVID crisis. Additionally, he’s been a champion of the important work being done across DGE to create a more inclusive culture.”

Hunegs, whose next move is not yet known, leaves end of May with a successor currently being sought by the Mouse House.

He joins other senior execs to leave the Mouse House including Ravi Ahuja, former president of business operations & CFO, who has since joined Sony Pictures Entertainment, and former Touchstone TV president Bert Salke, who is now on an overall deal with Disney TV Studios.