Disney veteran Tony Chambers has been tapped to fill a new leadership role as the company looks to unify its global strategy.

Chambers—who has been serving as Disney’s head of theatrical distribution since 2021—will move up to EMEA president beginning in February, reporting directly to Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, and ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro. A seasoned media executive who has worked at the Mouse House for 30 years, Chambers’ past roles have included SVP of studio distribution and country manager for the UK and Ireland. 

He will replace current EMEA president Jan Koeppen, who is stepping down as part of the company’s restructuring plan after six years and milestone achievements including the rollout of the Disney+ service in the region. Chamber’s replacement as head of theatrical distribution should be announced in the near future. 

Disney is realigning its entertainment business in this major market by making the teams behind multiple lines of EMEA business (including DTC, ad sales, local originals, studio marketing and theatrical distribution) report directly to their respective global leaders. The regional president will now have P&L oversight, in addition to continuing to serve as the studio’s local representative, consolidating strategic priorities and financials, and coordinating regional teams. 

This rejig comes months after Disney revealed plans to spend US$5 billion on movies and series in the UK and continental Europe over the next five years.

The company is already gearing up for a busy big-screen year, with Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World (February), its live-action Snow White pic (March), Pixar’s sci-fi animation feature Elio (June) and a highly anticipated Zootopia sequel (November) on the calendar.