Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul Exits Disney After Eight Years

Disney Entertainment Television is losing its communications chief. Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul, EVP of Communications, told staff in a memo Wednesday that she is leaving the company after eight years to "pursue a new opportunity."

Bulochnikov-Paul joined Disney in 2018 at Freeform, rose to SVP of communications for ABC Entertainment in 2019, and became EVP and head of communications for Disney General Entertainment in 2023. Her portfolio spanned ABC Entertainment, ABC News, FX, Hulu Originals, National Geographic and Disney Global Advertising, plus executive communications for Dana Walden. Insiders stressed the departure was her own decision, unrelated to Disney's ongoing restructuring.

The exit lands amid a wave of change at Disney since Josh D'Amaro became CEO, with Debra O'Connell now chairing Disney Entertainment Television and further structural changes expected in the coming weeks.

Key facts:
- Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul exits Disney after eight years as EVP Communications, Disney Entertainment Television
- Announced in a staff memo; leaving to "pursue a new opportunity"
- Portfolio included ABC, FX, Hulu Originals, National Geographic and Disney Global Advertising
- Departure described as her own decision, not tied to restructuring

Why this matters: Comms chiefs are the industry's quiet power brokers. Bulochnikov-Paul spent eight years deciding how Disney's biggest shows and stars were presented to the world, and that kind of narrative control shapes careers. For actors, the lesson is simple: the people who tell your story matter almost as much as the story itself. Whoever takes that chair next will be worth knowing.