Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro has confirmed layoffs affecting up to 1,000 employees in the company’s streamlined marketing and brand organization.

The top exec, who was officially named Bob Iger’s successor in February, conveyed the news to employees Tuesday in a memo. (Read it in full below.)

Word of the cutbacks surfaced last week and reflect consolidation in the company’s marketing areas. In addition to marketing and brand positions, the layoffs are affecting employees across the company’s studio and television units, along with ESPN, Product & Technology and certain corporate functions, a source familiar with the cuts tells Deadline. 

In January, the company upped veteran exec Asad Ayaz to Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, after announcing a plan to consolidate marketing at the film, TV and streaming operations and eliminate duplication.

The moves are at a more moderate level of trimming than that during multiple rounds of cuts overseen by Iger soon after his return to the CEO post in 2022.

D’Amaro didn’t retreat from the notion that contraction is reshaping Disney as well as the entire entertainment industry. “We have experienced a great deal of change these last few years, both at the company and across our industries,” he wrote in the memo. “I know this is hard. Those that will be leaving us have done meaningful work here and care deeply about this company. These decisions are not a reflection of their contributions, or of the overall strength of the company. Rather, they reflect our continual evaluation of how to more effectively manage our resources and reinvest in our businesses.”

Disney’s overall head count stood at a bit more than 230,000 at the end of the most recent fiscal year, though most of that reflects part-time workers in the company’s theme parks.

D’Amaro, who was chosen as CEO after a lengthy succession process run by a committee of the company’s board of directors, has been at Disney since 1998. Most recently, he ran the company’s Experiences division.

Here is D’Amaro’s full memo:

Dear Fellow Employees & Cast Members,

We have experienced a great deal of change these last few years, both at the company and across our industries. Knowing firsthand how these moments can bring uncertainty, I want to be open about some difficult news that will be communicated this week. 

In January, we announced our unified enterprise marketing and brand organization, designed to serve consumers in an even more connected way. Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney. Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs. As a result, we will be eliminating roles in some parts of the company and have begun notifying impacted employees.

I know this is hard. Those that will be leaving us have done meaningful work here and care deeply about this company. These decisions are not a reflection of their contributions, or of the overall strength of the company. Rather, they reflect our continual evaluation of how to more effectively manage our resources and reinvest in our businesses. 

Compassion and respect remain at the heart of our company. As we move forward through this transition, our priority is to support those impacted and help each person navigate what comes next with resources, guidance, and direct support. 

Despite these difficult decisions, I remain optimistic about where we’re headed as a company. I’m deeply grateful for all of your contributions and for the dedication, professionalism, and care you bring to your work each day. Even in challenging moments, you continue to demonstrate what makes Disney so special.

Josh