Alan Bergman Promoted To Disney Studio Co-Chairman; Alan Horn Upped To Chief Creative Officer
Alan Bergman (pictured top right), who’s been president of The Walt Disney Studios since 2005, has been promoted to co-chairman of The Walt Disney Studios Entertainment division, according to an announcement made on May 1st by Disney chairman and CEO Bob Allen Iger and Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn (pictured top left).
Bergman will serve alongside Horn as co-chairmen, while Horn, 76, will assume the additional title of chief creative officer (CCO). Both Horn and Bergman, in their respective new roles, will report to Iger and will jointly oversee Disney’s film, music and theater groups, as well as the studios’ global marketing, distribution, communications, and human resources.
The long list of labels they are in charge of include Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Family, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox 2000, and Blue Sky Studios.
Bergman will continue to oversee the studios’ business groups including operations, technology, business and legal affairs, labor relations, and finance.
During his time as president of The Walt Disney Studios, Bergman was involved in the integration of Pixar Animation Studios and Marvel Studios into the studio. He also led with Horn the Lucasfilm integration. Bergman and Horn are currently leading the integration of the Fox film labels under The Walt Disney Studios umbrella. Before his time as president, Bergman held executive roles in Disney’s controllership and operations planning groups since 1996. He was named chief financial officer of The Walt Disney Studios in 2001.
“Seven years ago, I had the good fortune of hiring Alan Horn as chairman of our Studios, and since then, our Studio Entertainment group has delivered creative excellence and tremendous box office success,” Iger said in a statement. “Alan Bergman’s leadership has also been key to making our Studios the gold standard of the industry. The new ‘co-chair’ structure formally recognizes the powerful partnership behind one of the most successful eras in our Studios’ history and ensures we remain focused on creating extraordinary entertainment experiences for audiences around the world.”
The announcement of Bergman’s promotion comes amidst recent criticism from Abigail Disney, daughter of Roy E. Disney and granddaughter of Walt Disney Company co-founder Roy O. Disney, regarding executive salaries compared to the rest of its workforce, some of whom live at or below poverty levels. She referred to the salary earned by Iger as “insane.” U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has suggested that Disney use profits from Avengers: Endgame to give raises and ensure that its employees earn a middle-class wage.