Nov. 19–The Walt Disney Co.’s theme-park division has laid off three more upper-level executives, continuing a quiet restructuring that began earlier this year.
Among the newest departures is Rick Continelli, the senior vice president of park sales and services for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Continelli oversaw Disney’s meetings-and-convention business, plus youth, military, weddings and sports programs and the Disney Institute, a management-consulting unit.
Continelli was Disney’s liaison to Visit Orlando, the region’s publicly subsidized tourism bureau. He is currently a member of the agency’s board of directors.
In addition, Disney laid off two veteran executives from its information-technology group: Laura Hall and Allen Fazio, both vice presidents and both of whom had more than 20 years with the company.
Disney recently restructured its animals, science and environment team, as well, though it said no jobs were cut.
With the latest moves, Disney has now laid off at least half a dozen parks executives in recent months, including two from its research team and another from its Internet group. Several of the job eliminations stem from a reorganization ordered two years ago by the chairman of Disney’s parks division, Tom Staggs, in which sales and marketing groups were merged.
Three others have also left Disney’s parks division recently for new jobs, including Brian Britton, former vice president of global park operations and planning who was named chief operating officer for Chicago-based Levy Restaurants. Two others moved to Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal.
Altogether, the departing executives had more than 110 years of combined experience with Disney’s parks and resorts business.
Disney said it would not comment on “individual employment matters.”
“We regularly evaluate our organization to meet the evolving needs of our guests and our business,” Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty said.
As part of the most recent changes, Disney has also assigned responsibility for the Disney Institute to Karl Holz, president of new vacation operations for Disney’s parks division, whose portfolio also includes Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club and Adventures by Disney. The consulting business had previously fallen under Randy Garfield, executive vice president for worldwide sales and travel operations.
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