Pixar Names Jonathan Garson President as Jim Morris Moves to Emeritus Role

Pixar has named Jonathan Garson president, with Jim Morris stepping back into the role of president emeritus, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The leadership changes also include Jonas Rivera’s elevation to creative executive vice president, while Pete Docter continues to lead the animation studio as chief creative officer.

Garson’s appointment puts a new executive in the presidency as Morris moves to a different position within the leadership structure. The supplied report identifies the change in their titles but does not detail how their responsibilities will be divided or what duties Morris will retain as president emeritus.

Rivera’s promotion accompanies the transition in the presidency, making the announcement broader than a single executive appointment. His elevation places him in a senior creative executive role, although the supplied account does not specify his responsibilities, reporting relationships or how the position will interact with other members of Pixar’s leadership.

Docter’s continued tenure as chief creative officer provides an element of continuity alongside those changes. The report explicitly identifies him as remaining in charge of the studio’s creative leadership, distinguishing his continuing position from the new titles announced for Garson, Morris and Rivera. It does not describe any change to Docter’s responsibilities.

Taken together, the appointments outline a transition at the top of Pixar without indicating a replacement of its chief creative officer. That distinction matters when assessing the scope of the news: the presidency is changing hands and Rivera is being elevated, but the information provided does not establish a wider shift in creative direction.

The president emeritus designation also requires a distinction between a change in title and a departure from the studio. The report describes Morris as stepping back into that role, rather than simply announcing that he is leaving Pixar. It does not provide enough detail to establish the extent of his future involvement in studio affairs.

The supplied account offers no explanation for the timing of the appointments or the process behind them. It also does not connect the leadership changes to any particular production, release decision or business initiative. Drawing conclusions about those matters would go beyond the personnel changes described by The Hollywood Reporter.

Further details would clarify when the transition takes effect and how the executives’ responsibilities will fit together. For now, the reported structure names Garson as president, Morris as president emeritus and Rivera as creative executive vice president, with Docter continuing as chief creative officer. The announcement establishes those leadership roles without setting out a broader strategic outlook.