Sonia Coleman has been announced as the new Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Officer of Human Resources at Walt Disney Company.
Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger appointed her. Her new position goes into effect on April 8, transferring from serving as Senior Vice President and Human Resources for Disney Entertainment.
As reported by Business Wire, Iger praised Coleman’s work ethic and past work for affiliated companies.
He said in a statement, “Sonia is widely respected across the company as a gifted leader and strong advocate for our employees. Her proven expertise in leading the human resources function for our general entertainment businesses and ESPN during a period of unprecedented transformation makes her the perfect choice to lead this function company-wide as we implement our new operating structure and position Disney to capitalize on the opportunities ahead.”
“I also want to extend my thanks to Paul Richardson for his many years of service to the company, and his contributions to numerous ongoing initiatives, including our Heroes Work Here veterans hiring program.”
Richardson, who is passing his position onto Coleman, served for more than 15 years, and Coleman expressed that she was excited and ready to take on the challenge.
“It is truly an honor to be named to this role, and I am grateful for the confidence that Bob has placed in me. Disney is unrivaled because of the talent, dedication, and enthusiasm of our cast members and employees. They are the key to our success, and I look forward to being their greatest champion in partnership with our exceptional HR teams around the world as we move forward through the important company-wide transformation underway that will truly empower the people behind the magic of Disney.”
Coleman’s new position will put her in charge of Disney’s human “resources strategy, global talent acquisition, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, organizational design and cultural development, employee education and development, compensation and benefits, HR operations and technology, and global security.”
Coleman won’t be new to leadership roles come April as she has served as Senior Vice President since 2017 after transitioning from Vice President in 2008 at Disney. Prior to joining the company, Coleman earned her Bachelor’s Degree of Science in organizational leadership from Chapman University and a Master of Science degree in human resource management from Florida International University.
