Paul Roeder

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer The Walt Disney Company

Last Reviewed: October 3, 2026

Executive Summary

Paul Roeder became Chief Communications Officer of The Walt Disney Company in March 2026, one of the first appointments announced by incoming chief executive Josh D’Amaro, to whom he reports. He is Disney’s lead spokesperson and oversees its communications worldwide: media relations, executive and internal communications, editorial strategy, public affairs and corporate social responsibility. He has been at Disney for 25 years, most of them running communications for The Walt Disney Studios, through the Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox acquisitions, the launch of Disney+ and releases such as Avengers: Endgame and Frozen. He came up inside the film business rather than corporate public relations, and now speaks for the whole company.

Career Highlights

• Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of Disney since 19 March 2026.
• Executive Vice President, Communications, for Disney Entertainment Studios, Direct-to-Consumer and International, from 2023.
• Led communications for The Walt Disney Studios from 2010.
• Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Professional Journey

Roeder earned a bachelor’s degree in English at DePauw University. He began in the entertainment industry in various roles at the talent agency William Morris and as an assistant to the executive producer of the comedy Meet the Parents, according to his Disney biography.

He joined Disney’s ABC communications team in 2001 and held roles of increasing responsibility in corporate communications from 2002 to 2010. In 2010 he took over communications for The Walt Disney Studios, where he was part of the executive team through the acquisitions of Lucasfilm in 2012 and 21st Century Fox in 2019, the 2019 launch of Disney+, and the release of films including Avengers: Endgame, Black Panther, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Frozen and Inside Out 2.

In 2023 he was named to lead communications for Disney Entertainment’s studios, direct-to-consumer and international businesses, covering Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 20th Century and Searchlight, Disney Theatrical Group and Disney Music Group, as well as streaming, product and technology, distribution and the Office of Technology Enablement.

On 12 March 2026 Disney announced him as senior executive vice president and chief communications officer, effective 19 March, with regional teams in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America reporting into his organization. In the announcement he thanked studios chairman Alan Bergman for 15 years of mentorship. Disney reports three segments, Entertainment, Sports and Experiences, and employed about 231,000 people at the end of fiscal 2025, according to its annual report. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Education

DePauw University

Bachelor’s degree, English