Helene Hahn Loyd, the former Disney evp and one of the original executives at DreamWorks SKG, has died. She was 78.
Loyd died peacefully in her sleep on Oct. 24, in Park City, Utah.
She was born in Westbury, New York, and graduated from Hofstra University in 1970. After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles and began temporarily working at Paramount Pictures while attending law school. She subsequently earned her degree from Loyola Law School in 1975.
Loyd would rejoin Paramount Pictures in 1997 and became senior vice president. She would go on to work at Walt Disney Studios, being named executive vice president in 1981, elevating her among the highest level of women working in the film business. Working with Jeffrey Katzenberg, Loyd was a key player in Disney’s renaissance, playing a hand in the company’s partnership with Pixar.
She was recruited as one of the first executives to build DreamWorks SKG in 1994, which was founded by Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. There, Loyd worked her way up to chief operating officer. During the duration of her career, Loyd served as a mentor to many upcoming female executives.
Loyd left DreamWorks in 2004, moving to Park City and taking on skiing as a passion.
The executive’s husband of over two decades, Charles “Chuck” Loyd Jr., died in July.
The family has asked those who wish to make a donation in their memory to donate to U.S. Ski & Snowboard, honoring their shared love of skiing and their commitment to supporting the next generation of athletes.