Helene Hahn Loyd, an executive who helped lead Walt Disney Studios through its revival in the 1980s and 1990s before joining the founding leadership team at DreamWorks SKG, died Oct. 24 at her home in Park City, Utah. She was 78.
Loyd was one of the highest-ranking women in the film industry during her tenure at Disney, where she was named executive vice president in 1981. Working with Jeffrey Katzenberg, she helped lead the revival of the studio, including its landmark partnership with Pixar.
In 1994, Loyd was among the first executives hired to build DreamWorks SKG, the studio founded by Steven Spielberg, Katzenberg and David Geffen. She eventually became the company’s chief operating officer.
Born Helene Burlakoff on July 13, 1948, in Westbury, New York, she was the youngest of three children. She graduated from Hofstra University in 1970 and moved to Los Angeles, where she took a temporary job at Paramount Pictures while attending law school. She earned her degree from Loyola Law School in 1975.
Loyd returned to Paramount in 1977 and rose to senior vice president, establishing a reputation as a strong salesman. Throughout her career, she also mentored up-and-coming female executives, many of whom went on to become leaders in their fields.
After leaving DreamWorks in 2004, Loyd settled in Park City, where she pursued skiing with the same intensity she brought to her work in Hollywood.
Her husband of more than two decades, Charles “Chuck” Loyd Jr., died in July.
In their memory, the family has requested donations to US Ski & Snowboard, showing the couple’s love of skiing and support for the next generation of athletes.
