Long-time Disney Exec Marinelli Leaving Company

Janice Marinelli, president of global content sales & distribution for the Walt Disney Co.’s Direct-to-Consumer & International unit, is leaving the company after 34 years.

Marinelli’s departure follows the acquisition and integration of 21st Century Fox.

No replacement was announced.

“Janice has contributed immeasurably to Disney over the past three decades architecting and successfully negotiating thousands of innovative deals that have benefited our company and will continue to do so for years to come,” said Kevin Mayer, chairman of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer & International unit. “I am so grateful for her insightful counsel and steadfast collaboration over the past year as we laid the foundation for DTCI and the upcoming launch of Disney+. I especially appreciate her willingness to stay on and see us through this time of tremendous change.”

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Marinelli joined Disney’s Buena Vista Television unit in 1985 as an account executive. She was promoted to her current job in 2018.

“I’ve observed many changes in our industry over the years, and it is changing at a speed never seen before,” Marinelli said. “While I have been considering this decision for some time, I was committed to seeing our team through the acquisition and integration of 21st Century Fox. Now that we’ve reached these important milestones, I believe the time is right for me to step down.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.