Disney has announced that Tony Chambers will be taking over the role of the President of The Walt Disney Company in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as it restructures how its entertainment businesses in the region function to ensure further unification of the company’s global strategy. Chambers will report in to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

In the new structure, several of the company’s lines of business in the region, including Direct-to-Consumer (Disney+), Ad Sales, Platform Distribution, Networks, Studio Marketing, Theatrical Distribution and Sports will now report directly in 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.

Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, Co-Chairmen, Disney Entertainment, and Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN said in a joint statement:

“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.”

Tony Chambers also said in the statement regarding his new role:

“I’m truly honoured to be leading the world-class EMEA team in this new capacity. 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.”

The current EMEA President, Jan Koeppen is stepping down in February as part of the restructure, and he also said in the official statement regarding his replacement:

“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.”

With Chambers taking on this new role, a new global head of Theatrical Distribution will be named in the near future.

What do you think of this change in position? Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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