Both hailing from Method Studios, Gabby Gourrier joins as Co-President, VFX, and Diana Ibanez as Executive Vice President, Film and Episodic VFX.
DNEG once again has expanded its leadership team, announcing that Gabby Gourrier has been named Co-President, VFX, and Diana Ibanez, Executive Vice President, Film and Episodic VFX, to be based out of the studio’s Los Angeles office. Gourrier will serve alongside current president Josh Jaggars and report directly to DNEG CEO and Chairman Namit Malhotra, with Ibanez working closely with Gourrier and Jaggars.
Gourrier and Ibanez each joined from Method Studios, where Gourrier served as Executive Vice President, Global Features and Special Projects, and Ibanez served as Vice President, Global Features, Episodic and Special Projects.
“I am delighted to welcome Gabby and Diana to our senior leadership team as we continue to fortify our VFX leadership position,” said Malhotra. “With every day and every project, DNEG is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in visual effects and animation. The expertise, knowledge, and experience that Gabby and Diana bring to their new roles will help DNEG further expand its industry-leading offering and deliver even higher levels of service to our clients.”
In her new role, Gourrier will partner with Jaggars, overseeing the company’s client relationships and team of VFX supervisors while leveraging the studio’s creative production capabilities and strengths to drive new business and partnerships with content creators and filmmakers on new opportunities.
“DNEG is at the forefront of VFX creativity and technology, and I am delighted to be joining Namit, Josh, and the talented DNEG teams across the globe to help foster and build upon the amazing work they are already doing,” shared Gourrier. “This is an incredibly exciting and significant time in our industry, with huge opportunities for forward-thinking companies like DNEG. The convergence of content across existing and emerging technologies and platforms is opening new doors for technology-enabled creative companies, and I can’t wait to explore the possibilities with DNEG’s team of award-winning creative minds.”
Ibanez will work closely with Gourrier and Jaggars in managing client relationships and as the point person for both clients and internal teams. She will also help manage the transition of projects into DNEG’s production pipeline and will work closely with the studio’s production teams to plan for the upcoming slate of projects.
“DNEG boasts an outstanding and diverse offering with the best talent and teams worldwide,” noted Ibanez. “As DNEG continues to lead in the development and support of emerging platforms and continues to scale to support the increasing demand from studios and production companies, I am thrilled to work alongside clients and the DNEG leadership team to ensure that current and future collaborations are realized and executed to the incredibly high levels of quality that DNEG is known for.”
Gourrier worked at VFX studios Digital Domain, Asylum VFX, and Framestore before her 14-year stint at Method Studios. While at Method, she worked closely with Dan Glass, now DNEG Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, and other senior executives to develop the film side of the business. Most recently, her work was associated with films including Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
In addition to her time at Method Studios, Ibanez has worked at Mill Film, Framestore, and Columbia Pictures (as a client-side VFX producer), with most of her career tenure at Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI), where she started in 1994.
Source: DNEG
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
