Chambers 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 EMEA.
Tony Chambers, Disney’s head of theatrical distribution, will be stepping into the role of president of The Walt Disney Company for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), effective February. This shift comes as part of a restructuring in the region, following the departure of Jan Koeppen, who is stepping down after a six-year tenure. Chambers will report to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, as well as ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
In his new role, Chambers will oversee Disney’s business operations across over 130 markets in the EMEA region. A replacement for his position as global head of theatrical distribution will be named shortly. Disney’s first major film release for 2024 will be the Marvel Studios title Captain America: Brave New World on February 14. The company achieved a major milestone in 2024, becoming the first studio to surpass $5 bn in global box office revenue post-pandemic, the first to reach this level since 2019. This marks the sixth time Disney has reached this threshold since 2010.
Chambers, a 30-year industry veteran, has led Disney’s theatrical distribution team since January 2021, managing the distribution of films from Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures. Before this role, he served as SVP of Studio Distribution for Europe and as the UK and Ireland country manager.
Jan Koeppen was appointed president of Disney EMEA in 2019, responsible for Disney’s commercial and operational strategies across the region. His leadership saw the establishment and growth of Disney+ in EMEA. Prior to his time at Disney, Koeppen served as president of Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa and as COO of 21st Century Fox, Europe & Asia.
In a joint statement, Alan Bergman, Dana Walden, and Jimmy Pitaro praised Chambers for his collaborative leadership style and extensive experience, and expressed gratitude for Koeppen’s exceptional contributions. Chambers expressed excitement about his new role, emphasizing his eagerness to continue driving growth in the dynamic EMEA region.
Disney is restructuring its EMEA entertainment businesses to align with the company’s global strategy, ensuring unified leadership across various divisions including Theatrical Distribution, Platform Distribution, Direct-to-Consumer, Ad Sales, and more. As part of the new strategy, US-based global leaders will have direct oversight of regional businesses, while the regional president will continue to represent the studio locally and lead initiatives that span across different business units.
The company operates in over 130 markets in the EMEA region, with Disney+ being a key part of its growth since its launch in 2020.
