PEOPLE: Disney LatAm kids exec Cecilia Mendonça has exited amid a restructure

August 22, 2025

Disney’s Cecilia Mendonça has left her role as head of content development and VP of kids, YA and family for Latin America after 24 years at the company. Her departure is part of broader strategic changes in the region, where Disney says it’s looking to “revitalize” local originals. “The changes seek to elevate the regional content offering, providing more resources and greater focus and dynamism for the business,” the company told Kidscreen in a statement. More details about the restructure will be announced later—but the new strategy will emphasize streaming business growth, and position Mexico and Brazil as key production hubs. Mendonça’s credits include L-Pop (pictured), 4 Ever and The Secret Score.
Former Apple TV+ creative exec Chris Parnell is starting in a new role as EVP of Paramount+ originals. He will head up development and production of the platform’s proprietary content, reporting directly to head of originals Jane Wiseman. Recently, the company expressed an interest in working with more third parties to bolster its originals catalogue. In addition to many adult-skewing titles, this slate has yielded a pair of kids animated series (Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dora) and a teen drama (School Spirits).