Disney‘s head of theatrical distribution, Tony Chambers, is leaving his current role to serve as president of the Walt Disney Company in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
He will replace Jan Koeppen, who is stepping down in February as regional lead after six years as part of a company restructuring of the entertainment business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Chambers will report to Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro. The film studio has plans to appoint a new global head of theatrical distribution in the near future.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
The Walt Disney Company operates in over 130 markets across Europe, Middle East and Africa. The company plans to commit $5 billion over the next five years to produce more blockbuster movies and TV shows in EMEA, including local originals for the Disney+ streaming service.
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In the new structure, U.S.-based global leaders will have direct oversight of the regional businesses, leading those teams and setting the strategy in areas including direct-to-consumer, ad sales, platform distribution, networks, studio marketing, theatrical distribution and sports. Regional presidents will have P&L oversight for their respective businesses in EMEA and will continue to be the company’s local representative. That includes consolidating strategic priorities and financials and coordinating teams at the regional level and spearheading initiatives across businesses (except for Disney Experiences). They will also oversee shared functions like human resources communications and finance, according to a company press release.
Chambers has been at Disney for 30 years, most recently overseeing global film distribution as well as home entertainment under the expansive Disney umbrella of Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures since 2021. Prior to that, Chambers was senior VP of studio distribution and country manager in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He joined the company in 1995 and held various positions, including head of studio sales and distribution for the Middle East, Europe and Africa, as well as general manager of emerging markets, where he led operations in the Middle East, Israel, Africa, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.
“I’m truly honored to be leading the world-class EMEA team in this new capacity,” Chambers said in a statement. “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, who was appointed as president of the Walt Disney Company EMEA in 2019, was responsible for overseeing Disney’s portfolio in EMEA in regards to Disney+, motion pictures, television, content licensing, local original productions and stage plays as well as strategy and business development. Before joining Disney, Koeppen was president of Fox Networks Group in Europe and Africa and chief operating officer of 21st Century Fox in Europe and Asia.
Koeppen noted: “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.”