Broadcast Media Africa has learnt that Tony Chambers has been appointed president of The Walt Disney Company, EMEA, as Jan Koeppen is stepping down in February.
The moves come as Disney EMEA restructures how its regional entertainment businesses function to ensure further unification of the company’s global strategy.
In the new structure, several of the company’s lines of business in the region—including direct-to-consumer, ad sales, platform distribution, networks, local original content, studio marketing, theatrical distribution and sports—will now report directly to the global business leaders of those businesses, who will have P&L oversight for their respective regional businesses in EMEA. The regional president will continue to be the company’s representative in the region and be responsible for consolidating strategic priorities and financials and coordinating teams at the regional level, leading local initiatives that span across businesses (excluding Disney Experiences) and overseeing shared service functions, including human resources, communications and finance.
With Chambers taking on this new role, a new global head of theatrical distribution will be named in the near future.
Chambers will report to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman, Dana Walden, and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
“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,” said Bergman, Walden and Pitaro. “Tony Chambers is a seasoned senior executive with 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 accelerating our growth in EMEA and worldwide, 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.”
“I’m truly honoured to lead the world-class EMEA team in this new capacity,” Chambers commented. “It’s a dynamic region that has gone through incredible, positive change over the past several years, and I’m eager 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 full heart and great pride in the exceptional Disney EMEA team.”
