Helene Hahn Loyd, Founding DreamWorks Exec and Influential Jeffrey Katzenberg Adviser, Dies at 78

Skip to content Reaching the echelons of female executives in Hollywood at the time of her tenure, Loyd left the industry in 2004 November 5, 2026 @ 6:24 PM Helene and Chuck Loyd (Photo credit: Courtesy Image) Helene Hahn Loyd, a senior executive who helped lead Walt Disney Studios through its renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s before joining the founding leadership team at DreamWorks SKG, died Oct. 24 at her Park City, Utah, home. She was 78. Loyd was among the highest-ranking women in the film industry during her tenure at Disney, where she was named executive vice president in 1981. Working alongside Jeffrey Katzenberg, she helped guide the studio’s resurgence, including its landmark partnership with Pixar. In 1994, Loyd was among the first executives recruited to build DreamWorks SKG, the studio founded by Steven Spielberg, Katzenberg and David Geffen. She eventually served as 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 rejoined Paramount in 1977 and rose to senior vice president, establishing a reputation as a formidable dealmaker. 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 U.S. Ski & Snowboard, reflecting the couple’s shared love of skiing and support for the next generation of athletes.