DNEG announced Gabby Gourrier as VFX co-president and Diana Ibanez as executive vice president, film and episodic VFX. Both executives will be based out of DNEG’s Los Angeles studio, with Gourrier serving alongside current president Josh Jaggars, and reporting directly to DNEG CEO and chairman Namit Malhotra. Ibanez will work closely with both Gourrier and Jaggars.
Gourrier and Ibanez each join DNEG from Method Studios, where Gourrier served as executive VP, global features and special projects, and Ibanez served as VP, global features, episodic and special projects.
Malhotra said, “I am delighted to welcome Gabby and Diana to our senior leadership team, as we continue to fortify our VFX leadership position. 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 to oversee the company’s client relationships and its world-class team of VFX supervisors, while also leveraging DNEG’s creative production capabilities and strengths to drive new business and to partner with content creators and filmmakers on exciting 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. 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,” said Gourrier.
Ibanez will work closely with Gourrier and Jaggars in managing client relationships and as a point person for both clients and internal teams. Additionally, she will help to manage the transition of projects into DNEG’s production pipeline and will work closely with DNEG’s production teams to forecast and plan for the upcoming slate of projects.
Ibanez said, “DNEG boasts an outstanding and diverse offering with the best talent and teams worldwide. 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 realised and executed to the incredibly high levels of quality that DNEG is known for.”
Gourrier’s previous experience includes executive roles at VFX studios Digital Domain, Asylum VFX and Framestore. Over a 14-year period at Method Studios, Gourrier helped grow the studio into a major player in the visual effects industry, working closely with now DNEG senior VFX Supervisor Dan Glass and other senior executives to develop the film side of the business. Gourrier has recently been associated with films including Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
In addition to her time at Method Studios, Ibanez has also worked at Mill Film, Framestore, and Columbia Pictures, with most of her career spent at Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI), where she started in 1994.
