Josh Berger steps down from Warner Bros.

Josh Berger, president and managing director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain, and president of Harry Potter Global Franchise Development, has decided to leave the company after over 30 years of service. While Berger will step down in December, he will continue as an advisor to the senior management until the middle of 2021. Further, he will assume the role of an executive producer of the third instalment of the Fantastic Beasts film series and upcoming BBC documentary Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History, among other projects of the Harry Potter franchise.

Berger has been integral to the ongoing success of Warner Bros. businesses in the UK, Ireland and Spain, and has been an incredible steward to the Harry Potter franchise, Gerhard Zeiler, head of International, WarnerMedia, said. “He was also the first Warner Bros. country manager, pioneering the model which shapes the international organization today. It is fair to say, that thanks to his leadership and energy our company is for sure better off today,” he added.

As president and MD, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain, Berger was responsible for overseeing Warner Bros.’ business activities in the three territories, and as President of Harry Potter Global Franchise Development he led Warner Bros.’ expanded creative partnership with JK Rowling. Meanwhile, as country manager for the UK and Ireland, Berger was instrumental in the expansion of the company’s activities across film, TV, and videogames, and during that time, he played a relevant part in over 350 theatrical releases in these regions.

“Over the last 31 years at Warner Bros., I’ve been lucky to see every part of that process in action. I’ve seen ideas being formed and deals being struck, magic being made in front of the camera and behind it, and stories being told from – and sent to – all corners of the earth. I’m so grateful to all my colleagues for making this place feel like home for so long and wish them all the best for the future,” Berger said.

In addition to his Warner Bros. responsibilities, Berger was appointed Chairman of the British Film Institute in 2016, having been a BFI Governor since 2011. In this role, Berger has promoted the cultural and economic value of the creative industries, and has been instrumental in championing the push for greater diversity in the screen industries in the UK, including the development and promotion of the BFI Diversity Standards to encourage equality of opportunity and address underrepresentation in the screen industries. He is also a Board Member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA); Chairman Emeritus of Chickenshed Theatre Trust; a Member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), and the British Screen Advisory Council; and a Director of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

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