Disney has rejigged its leadership in EMEA with company veteran and global theatrical distribution head Tony Chambers replacing Jan Koeppen who i
Disney has rejigged its leadership in EMEA with company veteran and global theatrical distribution head Tony Chambers replacing Jan Koeppen who is stepping down from the role.
Chambers has been named president of The Walt Disney Company, EMEA, overseeing the US giant’s restructure of its entertainment businesses in the region.
As part of the reorganisation, select business lines in EMEA, including direct-to-consumer, ad sales, platform distribution, networks, studio marketing, theatrical distribution and sports will now report directly into Disney’s global leaders of those businesses, who will take on P&L oversight for the respective regional business in EMEA.
Chambers will continue to be the company’s representative in EMEA, overseeing strategic priorities and financial operation and coordinating teams at the regional level. He will lead on local initiatives across businesses in the territory, excluding Disney Experiences, and steer operations such as HR, communications, and finance.
Chambers, who will report into Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro, is a three-decade veteran of Disney and has held numerous senior distribution roles.
As head of theatrical distribution, he steered the global distribution of Disney’s entire features output under the Disney, Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures banners. Previously, he served as senior vice-president of studio distribution for Europe, and as UK and Ireland country manager.
His elevation sees current EMEA president Jan Koeppen stepping down after six years in the role. Koeppen was appointed to his role in October 2019, after securing a position as president of TV and direct-to-consumer for EMEA as part of Disney’s $71bn (£56.8bn) acquisition of Fox assets in 2019. Prior to that he was president of Fox Networks Group (FNG) Europe & Africa among other roles.
Chambers’ replacement as head of global distribution has not yet been announced.
Bergman, Walden and Pitaro said: “EMEA is a key region in terms of the success of our business globally, and as we realign our strategy for our entertainment businesses there, we are fortunate to transition between two fantastic leaders.
“Tony Chambers is a seasoned senior executive who has a highly collaborative style and stellar reputation in EMEA and across the company, and he brings a wealth of experience to this important new role. We look forward to continuing to accelerate our growth in EMEA and around the world, and we are immensely grateful for Jan’s exceptional contributions, which have made a meaningful and enduring difference to this team and the company during his tenure.”
Chambers said he was honoured to be leading the “world-class EMEA team in this new capacity”.
He added: “It’s a dynamic region that has gone through incredible, positive change over the past several years and I’m very eager now to build on that momentum.”
Koeppen said: “I’m grateful for the incredible six years I have had at Disney, working with some of the most talented and creative people in the industry through a period of profound transformation and growth as we launched and established Disney+ in the region. I leave with a full heart and with great pride in the exceptional Disney EMEA team.”
This story first appeared on Screen’s sister site Broadcast
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