Pixar Names Jonathan Garson President as Jim Morris Takes Emeritus Role

Pixar Animation Studios will name Jonathan Garson its new president as longtime studio leader Jim Morris transitions to a president emeritus role, Variety reported. Garson will partner with Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, placing a new executive alongside the studio’s creative leader as Morris steps away from the presidency.

The change follows Morris’ 12 years as president and 21 years overall at Pixar, according to the report. His move to an emeritus position marks a change in title and responsibilities rather than an announced departure from the studio, although the supplied account does not describe what his continuing involvement will entail.

Garson’s appointment establishes who will succeed Morris in the studio’s top presidential role. The available report identifies his partnership with Docter but does not provide a complete description of his remit, leaving the precise division of responsibilities between the president and chief creative officer unspecified in the supplied material.

The announcement therefore pairs a change in executive leadership with continuity in the named creative leadership position. Docter remains identified as chief creative officer and Garson’s partner; the supplied account does not announce a change to Docter’s title or indicate that the presidential succession is part of a wider creative leadership overhaul.

For Pixar, the transition closes a lengthy presidential tenure while retaining a formal title for the outgoing leader. Morris’ 12 years in the position account for more than half of his time at the studio, making the succession a notable institutional change even though the available information does not establish a broader shift in strategy.

The distinction between the two presidential titles is important to understanding the announcement: Garson will become president, while Morris will hold the president emeritus designation. Beyond that distinction, the supplied report does not establish whether Morris will have advisory duties, participate in particular projects or maintain a defined role in management decisions.

No reason for the leadership change is provided in the available excerpt, and it does not specify an effective date for Garson’s appointment. It also offers no details about changes to film production, release plans or staffing, so the succession alone should not be read as an announcement of changes in those areas.

The next details to watch are the timing of the handover, Garson’s full responsibilities and the scope of Morris’ emeritus role. For now, Variety’s report establishes the central leadership arrangement: Garson will take the presidency in partnership with Docter, while Morris moves into a new position after more than two decades at Pixar.