Disney Promotes Alan Bergman to Studio Co-Chairman as Alan Horn Adds Chief Creative Officer Role

By Matt Donnelly

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman has been named co-chairman of alongside Alan Horn, the studio announced Wednesday.

Expanding his role, Horn will also serve as the newly appointed chief creative officer of the company.

Bergman has been a crucial behind-the-scenes operator at Disney since assuming the role of president in 2005. He has led the integration of acquisition labels like Pixar Animation Studios and Marvel Studios, and overseen the assumption of Lucasfilm with Horn. Both men are currently at work folding in the film assets of 20th Century Fox, which Disney acquired earlier this year.

As co-chairmen, Bergman and Horn will jointly oversee Disney’s film, music, and theater groups, as well as global marketing, distribution, communications, and human resources departments. Bergman will continue to oversee the business groups including operations, technology, business and legal affairs, labor relations, and finance.

The men have become dual leadership ambassadors for label heads like Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy. Talent like Dwayne Johnson knows them as “The Alans.”

Horn has served as chairman since 2012, reporting to Disney CEO Bob Iger. Under their leadership, Disney became the first and only studio to cross the $7 billion mark at the global box office, first in 2016 reaching $7.6 billion, and again in 2018 with $7.3 billion. Last year, Disney also set an industry record of $3.09 billion domestically.

The studio most recently earned a record-obliterating $357 million opening weekend for Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame,” the conclusion of a current phase of serialized comic-book films led by Robert Downey Jr.