Jan Koeppen succeeds Rebecca Campbell recently named President, Disneyland Resort
The Walt Disney Company‘s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) division announced that Jan Koeppen, President of Television and Direct-to-Consumer, Europe & Africa, will take over the role of President, The Walt Disney Company Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as of November 11, 2019, replacing Rebecca Campbell, who has led the EMEA region for the past two years and was recently appointed President, Disneyland Resort for the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
During the announcement, Kevin Mayer, President of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment, to which Koeppen will refer, said “Jan is an enterprising leader who has made a positive impact on the EMEA region’s media business in recent years. His passion, combined with a deep understanding of the EMEA market, will allow him to further advance our growth as we seek to start implementing Disney+ across the region over the next year.”
“I feel honored by this new position and look forward to leading the strong partnership between our talented teams across EMEA and with our DTCI colleagues around the world,” said Koeppen. “These are exciting times for entertainment activities in the EMEA region and I believe that our teams, brands, IP and technology, along with our creative approach, position us better than anyone else to take advantage of the opportunities ahead. In this spirit, I look forward to continuing the successful work that the company has been able to build under Rebecca’s leadership.”
In his new role, Koeppen will be responsible for Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer Networks, Media Distribution and Motion Picture businesses, as well as all other EMEA operations (excluding Disneyland Paris), and will work closely with the Consumer Product team. It will also oversee a diversified team operating across the region with offices in 25 countries.
Under Koeppen’s leadership, Disney EMEA will continue to leverage its integrated structure to support the brand’s growth, innovation and brand affinity in this highly diverse landscape of countries. Disney’s business has flourished in a number of markets across Europe for over 80 years, while it has recently begun to establish itself in a number of countries in Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East (where the DTCI EMEA team oversees the work of Disney Theatrical Distribution).
Koeppen joined the Walt Disney Company earlier this year, following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox, of which he was President, Fox Networks Group (FNG) Europe & Africa. For the past six months, he has served as President of Television and Direct-to-Consumer, Europe & Africa, and has led the broad portfolio of television brands including Disney, ESPN, FOX, National Geographic and BabyTV, as well as regional head of Direct-to-Consumer, Media Distribution, Strategy and Business Development.
With high-profile professional experience in the media industry, in 2009 Koeppen joined the parent company of FNG, 21st Century Fox (later News Corporation) as Chief Operating Officer Europe & Asia. His achievements in this role include the closing of 32 transactions and major restructuring for the group in Europe and Asia, including the acquisition of the majority stake in Sky Deutschland, the founding of Star India as an independent entity and the merger of Star’s remaining business with FIC/FNG Asia. In his role as COO Europe & Asia, he has served on the boards of directors of Sky Deutschland, Tata Sky, Phoenix TV (HK) and others as a representative of 21st Century Fox.
Prior to joining 21st Century Fox, he held numerous positions at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), including Partner and Managing Director at the company’s London branch, where he was co-head of BCG’s worldwide Media Practice.
Born in Germany and raised in Brussels, he holds a Master’s degree in Management from H.E.C. Paris (H.E.C. Diploma) and a degree in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University in Washington D.C. He has lived in seven countries and is fluent in English, French, German and Spanish.
