Longtime 20th Century Fox marketing and communications executive James Finn is leaving the company in the wake of its sale to the Walt Disney Company.
Finn, known for his deep relationships with the media and his general affability, most recently served as head of marketing in the VR and gaming division Fox Next, as well as co-head of marketing in Fox Home Entertainment. It was not immediately clear if Finn resigned or represented a redundancy as Disney and 20th Century’s film and TV entities combine.
Finn was integral to 20th Century’s efforts to make home entertainments offerings more digital-facing. In nearly 20 years at the company, he previously served as a vice president in national publicity at Fox Searchlight and a studio rep at 20th Century Fox Film.
In a parting note to colleagues obtained by Variety, Finn said he’s grown accustomed to reading goodbye letters of late and wanted to keep his brief, simply thanking colleagues and mentors at the studio.
Three rounds of layoffs have been exacted since Disney closed the $71.3 billion purchase of Fox’s assets in March. The most significant was in March, with two smaller waves in May and June mostly affecting the film studio and international divisions.