Variety: Longtime Nat Geo Marketing and Communications Exec Chris Albert Set to Depart After More Than Two Decades

Story from Variety:

Longtime National Geographic marketing and communications exec Chris Albert, known for his stylish sartorial choices themed to the channel’s various events (and spawning the social media hashtag “#wearischris”), is departing the company after more than two decades.

The exec will oversee Nat Geo‘s presence at the D23 confab this weekend, and then plans to exit after Labor Day, when his current contract expires. “This is obviously a very bittersweet decision, but I am truly excited about the future,” he wrote to staffers. “My two decades at this company have been marked by so many incredible memories and accomplishments, but what I am most proud of is this team that we have assembled, many of us working together for more than a decade.”

Albert is believed to have been planning his exit for some time, and the news is unrelated to last week’s announcement that National Geographic would lay off 60 employees, or about 13% of its team.

Albert was most recently exec VP, marketing and communications for National Geographic, handing consumer and trade marketing and communications strategies for National Geographic Content, which includes the magazine, digital and its linear channels (Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo) and National Geographic Documentary Films. That oversight also included Nat Geo-branded global unscripted series and specials produced for Disney+ and Hulu.

His oversight also included events, talent relations and photo. Until last year, he also oversaw comms for Disney Branded Television, before transitioning back full time to Nat Geo in an expanded role.