Netflix's former U.S. and Canada communications chief starts at Disney on Monday, Nov. 9, replacing 15-year Disney veteran David Jefferson. A Disney TV communications head just made the opposite trip, to Netflix.
Disney is filling a top communications job with a Netflix veteran. Emily Feingold joins The Walt Disney Company as executive vice president of communications on Monday, Nov. 9, The Hollywood Reporter and IndieWire reported Friday, Nov. 6.
She replaces David Jefferson, who is leaving after 15 years at Disney under the company's voluntary early retirement offer. He'll stay through the end of November to help with the handoff, IndieWire reported.
Feingold reports to Paul Roeder, Disney's senior executive vice president and chief communications officer. Her job covers corporate media relations, enterprise editorial, and executive, brand, financial and technology communications.
"Emily is one of the best in the business," Roeder said. He called Jefferson "a trusted voice and steady hand for Disney."
The talent swap runs both ways. Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul, Disney TV's head of communications, recently left Disney for a role at Netflix, Laughing Place reported.
Who is Emily Feingold?
A longtime Netflix communications executive. Netflix hired her in 2017 as a communications director and promoted her to vice president of communications in 2022, Variety reported. IndieWire said she spent nearly nine years there, ending as VP and head of communications for the U.S. and Canada.
She advised Netflix leadership through some big moments, IndieWire reported:
CEO succession: Reed Hastings handing the job to Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters
New businesses: Netflix's moves into advertising, live events and gaming
Warner Bros. Discovery: Netflix's failed bid for the company
She left Netflix in June. Variety reported at the time that it was "unclear" why she was leaving.
Before Netflix, she was a senior vice president of corporate strategy and communications at investment firm Andell Inc. and vice president of corporate communications at Ralph Lauren. She started her career in the White House during the Clinton administration, THR reported.
Who is David Jefferson?
A former journalist who spent two decades reporting and editing at The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek before Disney, IndieWire reported.
As EVP of communications, he led Disney's day-to-day corporate communications, including public affairs, media relations and corporate social responsibility, WDW News Today reported in April. That's when he also picked up Disney's international communications teams.
Roeder said he's "deeply grateful" for Jefferson's counsel and friendship.
Who runs communications at Disney now?
Roeder does. THR reported he was tapped as chief communications officer after Josh D'Amaro was named Disney's CEO earlier this year. His previous job was EVP of communications for Disney Entertainment Studios, Direct-to-Consumer and International, according to his Disney bio.
The shuffle started when Kristina Schake said she was leaving the chief communications job, WDW News Today reported in April. Disney promoted April Carretta to EVP of communications in that same reorganization.
Why is 20th Television's Shari Rosenblum leaving?
She's taking the same voluntary early retirement offer. Shari Rosenblum, senior vice president and head of publicity for 20th Television and 20th Television Animation, is leaving after more than 25 years with Fox and Disney, Variety reported Thursday, Nov. 5. Deadline also reported the exit.
Variety's headline put it at 26 years. She joined 20th Century Fox Television before Disney bought Fox, recruited by Dana Walden and Gary Newman. She became an SVP in 2017 and took over the studio's publicity team in 2022. Disney gave her a Tinker Bell statue for 25 years of service, WDW News Today reported.
Her campaigns cover a lot of TV:
Comedy: Modern Family, New Girl and both versions of Arrested Development
Animation: The Simpsons and Family Guy
Drama and streaming: Homeland, The Dropout and Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Muppets: several Muppets projects
"I'm moving on from my Disney-Fox career with nothing but extreme gratitude," Rosenblum said. Candice Ashton, publicity EVP for Disney Entertainment Television, said few people have "shaped the voice and reputation of our studio" the way she has.
She plans to take some time off before deciding what's next, WDW News Today reported. Disney hasn't named a replacement.
What is Disney's voluntary early retirement offer?
An early retirement package Disney offered to qualifying longtime employees earlier this year, Variety and Laughing Place reported. WDW News Today tied Rosenblum's exit to a heavy year of cuts at Disney, with layoff rounds in April, July, September and October.
More could be coming. Deadline reported Thursday that Disney's next layoff round looks like early 2027, likely January, tied to a reorganization of Disney Entertainment Television. We covered that report Friday. Disney reports fiscal fourth-quarter results on Nov. 17.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
The Hollywood Reporter (Nov. 6, 2026), Feingold's title, start date, duties, reporting line, background and Roeder's quotes
IndieWire (Nov. 6, 2026), Feingold's Netflix work and Jefferson's tenure, journalism career and exit timing
Laughing Place (Nov. 6, 2026), the Nov. 9 start date and the Disney TV communications exit to Netflix
Variety (June 2, 2026), Feingold's Netflix exit and titles
WDW News Today (April 10, 2026), Jefferson's duties and the communications reorganization
Disney (Nov. 6, 2026), Paul Roeder's title and previous role
Variety (Nov. 5, 2026), Rosenblum's exit, credits, reason and quotes
Laughing Place (Nov. 5, 2026), Rosenblum's role and the early retirement offer
WDW News Today (Nov. 6, 2026), Rosenblum's 25-year milestone, plans and layoff timeline, citing Deadline
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