Disney’s Chief Diversity Officer, Latondra Newton, is leaving the company to pursue other endeavors. While her departure is a loss for Disney, we’re excited to see what she’ll accomplish next. Rumor has it that she plans to join a corporate board and focus on her own creative company.
In the meantime, Julie Merges, SVP Talent Acquisition, will take over Newton’s responsibilities on an interim basis while the search for her replacement is underway. Newton’s role as SVP, Chief Diversity Officer, involved overseeing Disney’s strategic diversity and inclusion initiatives. She worked with various business segments and leaders across the enterprise to build on Disney’s commitment to produce entertainment that reflects a global audience and sustains a welcoming and inclusive workplace for everyone.
Newton’s time at Disney included co-signing a memo with Bob Iger and Bob Chapek in May 2020, titled “Resolve in the Time of Unrest,” in the wake of the George Floyd killing. In it, the trio pledged to use their compassion, creative ideas, and collective sense of humanity to ensure they were fostering a culture that acknowledges people’s feelings and pain. They also realized that now more than ever was the time to further strengthen their commitment to diversity and inclusion everywhere.
Before joining Disney, Newton was Group Vice President, Social Innovation and Chief Diversity Officer at Toyota Motor North America, Inc. and Chief Program Officer at Toyota Mobility Foundation, Toyota Motor Corporation. She began her career at Toyota in 1991.
Variety was the first to report on Newton’s exit today. Check out the full memo from Disney’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Sonia Coleman, below.
