ABC Signature President Jonnie Davis To Leave
Over the past few months, there have been many changes within the Walt Disney Company’s Entertainment division, with thousands of job cuts to save money, along with changing roles and much more.
And now there is going to be another big change, as Deadline has revealed that ABC Signature President Jonnie Davis will be leaving the studio.
Jonnie has been working at the studio since 2019, just months after Disney purchased 20th Century Fox, having worked at 20th Century Fox Television since 2008 and has worked on several popular shows, including “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Fleishman Is In Trouble”, “This Fool”, “UnPrisoned”, “Reasonable Doubt”, “Solar Opposites”, and “Criminal Minds: Evolution”, all of which are released internationally exclusively on Disney+.
While there are rumours that Disney is looking to merge 20th Television and ABC Signature Studios, apparently, this move isn’t due to this, as Disney is still continuing to operate them separately and is looking for a replacement for Davis. Though it’ll be interesting to see how quickly a replacement is found, or if this is a forewarning of some larger changes within the general entertainment division.
The president of Disney TV Studios and Global Original TV Strategy, Eric Schrier, said in a note to his Team:
Jonnie Davis has made the decision to step down from his role as president of ABC Signature. Not only has Jonnie been an incredibly valued colleague, he has also served as a fantastic creative partner, collaborator and friend to so many. Jonnie is an exceptional person, and his unwavering support and positive energy will continue to inspire us. I hope you will all join me in expressing our gratitude to Jonnie for all of his contributions to ABC Signature and in wishing him continued success.
While news like this is never easy, I’m very confident in the leadership team we have in place, and I’m excited to work with them more closely until next steps are determined.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or if there is anything you need.
Best,
Eric
And Jonnie Davis also released a note to his teams about his exit from the company.
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share that I have made the decision to step down from my role as president of ABC Signature. It has been a privilege to work alongside all of you to deliver some of the most acclaimed and celebrated shows, like ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” FX’s “Fleishman is in Trouble” and Hulu’s “This Fool,” to name just a few, that captivate, inspire and reflect the audiences that we so proudly serve every day. I’m forever grateful to Dana Walden and Eric Schrier for the wonderful opportunity to lead this world-class studio. And while I will, of course, miss this outstanding team, after doing this job for over 20 years, I’m looking forward to figuring out my next creative challenge.
As I begin to reflect on my time here, I can’t think about our many successes without picturing people like you, who deliver the passion and dedication that drives our business. Each of you have played a role in making my experience at ABC Signature truly memorable and I will be cheering on the entire Disney Television Studios organization as you charge forward.
With thanks and gratitude,
Jonnie
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