ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AND AFRICA

Our Mission

The Walt Disney Company has been creating exceptional entertainment experiences in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for over 90 years. With creativity and innovation at the heart of everything we do, we focus on delivering our unique brand of world-class storytelling to fans and consumers across the region in strategic and locally relevant ways.

Between Disneyland Paris and its other iconic brands, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, 20th Century Studios and ESPN, The Walt Disney Company EMEA entertains, informs and inspires millions of consumers in more than 130 countries, employing thousands across the region. Disney+, the company’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, is currently available in 85 markets across EMEA.

EMEA Leadership

A commitment to excellence, creativity and innovation. Our executive team’s vision and strategic direction deliver stories, characters and experiences that are welcomed into the hearts and homes of millions of families around the world.

Leadership

Jan Koeppen

President, The Walt Disney Company EMEA

Leadership

Kakhaber Abashidze

Country manager and media head, The Walt Disney Company Russia & CIS and Central & Eastern Europe

Leadership

Paolo Agostinelli

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, AFFILIATE AND CONTENT DISTRIBUTION, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY EMEA

Leadership

Simon Amselem

Country Manager Spain, Portugal, Greece, Israel, Middle East and Africa

Leadership

Deborah Armstrong

Senior Vice President, General Manager Media Networks and Advertising EMEA & Country Manager UK & Ireland

Leadership

Simon Bailey

Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, The Walt Disney Company EMEA

Leadership

Luke Bradley-Jones

Senior Vice President, Direct to Consumer and General Manager, Disney+ EMEA

Leadership

Marco De Ruiter

Country Manager and Head of Media, The Walt Disney Company Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg

Leadership

Hélène Etzi

Country Manager and Head of Media, The Walt Disney Company France

Leadership

Daniel Frigo

Country Manager & Head of Studio Distribution, The Walt Disney Company Italy and Country Manager Turkey

Leadership

Amy Holland

Vice President, Corporate Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, The Walt Disney Company EMEA

Leadership

Lee Jury

Senior Vice President, Studios Marketing, The Walt Disney Company EMEA

Leadership

Nikki Keat

Chief Regional Counsel of The Walt Disney Corporation EMEA

Leadership

Toby List

Vice President, Human Resources, The Walt Disney Company EMEA

Leadership

Diego Londono

Executive Vice President, Media Networks and Content, The Walt Disney Company EMEA

Leadership

Eun-Kyung Park

Country Manager and Senior Vice President, General Manager Media, The Walt Disney Company Germany, Switzerland & Austria

Leadership

Nami Patel

Senior Vice President, Business Development & Strategy, The Walt Disney Company EMEA

Leadership

NICK RUSH

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STUDIO DISTRIBUTION, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY EMEA

Leadership

Claire Terry

Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, Games & Publishing (CPGP), EMEA

Leadership

Hans van Rijn

Country Manager and Head of Media, The Walt Disney Company Nordics

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Movies

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio continues to bring quality movies to consumers throughout EMEA.

Live Entertainment

From long-running shows such as The Lion King, to new experiences such as Frozen, our Live Events business strives to bring the most immersive, quality entertainment to consumers across the region.

Media

Our media networks division in EMEA comprises a vast array of broadcast, digital and direct-to-consumer businesses.

Parks and Resorts

Disneyland Paris is Europe’s leading tourist destination, with more than 320 million visits since its opening in 1992, and over 15,000 Cast Members working on site. Disneyland Paris is the number one private employer of its home region (Ile de France) and the number one single-site employer in France. Its activity generates 56,000 direct and indirect jobs in France.

Retail and Licensing

From toys and apparel, to music, apps and games, The Walt Disney Company EMEA brings our stories and characters to life through innovative and engaging physical products and digital experiences.


History of Disney EMEA

Try to think of a company that looks to its past more than The Walt Disney Company. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family.

Learn More About Disney History at D23

1932 Topolino History

1932

‘Topolino’ Magazine first published in Italy.

1934

'Mickey Magazine’ first published in France.

1948

First ‘Donald Duck’ magazine published in the Nordics.

1951

Mickey Mouse Magazine’ first published in Germany.

1952 Donald Duck Magazine History

1952

‘Donald Duck’ magazine first published in the Netherlands.

1961

Launch of L’Ami Public Numéro 1 a TV show hosted for 18 years in France.

1990

The first Disney Store in Europe opens in Regent Street, London.

1992

Disneyland Paris opened in 1992.

1995 Disney Channel History

1995

Disney Channel first launched in EMEA in October 1995 in the UK and Ireland.

1995 Beauty and the Beast History

1995

Disney’s first stage musical production in EMEA was Beauty and the Beast in Vienna in 1995.

1999

Disney’s The Lion King musical premieres in EMEA at the Lyceum Theatre, London in 1999.

2002 Walt Disney Studios History

2002

Walt Disney Studios theme park opens in France in 2002.

2003 Finding Nemo History

2003

Finding Nemo is the highest grossing ‘animated’ Disney film of all-time in EMEA with $324.5M. It is the industries 4th highest grossing animated film of all-time (behind Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift and Minions).

2006

Disney∙Pixar’s Cars releases. It’s the first Disney film ever to be dubbed in Ukrainian.

2007

EMEA red carpet premiere of Disney Channel’s High School Musical 2 at London’s O2.

2008

Disney France creates Disneynature, an independent film unit of Walt Disney Studios that produces nature documentary films.

2010 ABC History

2010

Disney launches an ABC-branded video on demand entertainment service in the UK in 2010.

2010

Disney Middle East & North Africa office opens in Dubai.

2011 Disney Media Sales & Partnerships History

2011

Disneymedia+ (now Disney Media Sales and Partnerships) launches in Poland, the first of the EMEA countries in 2011.

2012

The Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy cruise ships were completed at the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Disney spent $1.7 billion on these ships with 23,000 people working on their construction.

2013 Minnie Mouse Love mag history

2013

Minnie Mouse on the cover of LOVE magazine, 2013.

2015 Star Wars History

2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the highest grossing Disney film of all-time in EMEA with $618.6M. It is the industries 3rd highest grossing film of all-time (behind Avatar and Titanic).

DisneyLife history

2015

DisneyLife streaming platform for selected Disney films, songs and games was launched in the UK in 2015.

2016

First MediCinema opens in Italy, providing the full collection of Disney∙Pixar movies to bring joy and escapism to patients undergoing hospital treatment.

2016

The Lion King celebrates its 15th anniversary in Hamburg with over 11 million visitors since 2001.

2016

Marvel Zone at IMG’s Worlds of Adventure, the world’s largest indoor theme park, opens in Dubai in September 2016.

2017

Disney PRIDE UK&I marches in the Pride in London Parade, the first time ever Disney has participated outside of the US and consequently winning an award for Best New Group.

2018

Black Panther is the highest grossing theatrical release of all-time in East Africa, South Africa & West Africa.

Disney+ Logo

2019

Disney + launched in the Netherlands on November 12th 2019, the first country in EMEA to launch the direct-to-consumer service.

2019

Disney completes its aquisition of 21st Century Fox.

2019

Walt Disney Studios had their biggest ever EMEA box office return of $3.4bn, with seven of the top ten releases of the year. The number one film of the year across the region was The Lion King, which grossed $552m at the box office.

2020

Disney+ launched in 16 new markets across the EMEA region – UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Portugal.

Star Logo

2021

New general entertainment content brand Star launched on the Disney+ platform across EMEA in February.