Diane Nelson Expands Warner Bros. Duties to Include Consumer Products

Brad Globe to step down as division president in spring 2016 and work with her to assure a smooth transition

Diane Nelson DC Entertainment

Diane Nelson has added oversight of Warner Bros. Consumer Products to her to her current responsibilities as president of DC Entertainment and president/chief content officer of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, it was announced Friday by Kevin Tsujihara, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.

Brad Globe, who has served as president of Warner Bros. Consumer Products since 2005, will step down in spring 2016. He will work with Nelson in the coming months to assure a smooth management transition before leaving the studio. Nelson will name Globe’s successor next year.

“With more and more of our consumer products business being directly driven by DC characters and storylines, a closer alignment of the divisions makes a lot of sense for us,” said Tsujihara. “Diane’s background, which includes a great balance of business, creative and marketing, will help us bring fans exciting news ways to enjoy all of Warner Bros.’ great entertainment properties through wide-reaching, innovative consumer products experiences.”

“I’d also like to thank Brad for his decade of service to the company,” Tsujihara continued. “He’s been instrumental in elevating a number of our key franchises through creative and strategic campaigns, and has positioned the division for continued success. We appreciate his many contributions to Warner Bros. and wish him all the best.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Brad for many years on some of the most powerful franchises we have in the Company’s portfolio, including Harry Potter and the properties within the world of DC Entertainment,” said Nelson. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work even more closely with the WBCP executive management team to build upon their success.”

At DC Entertainment, Nelson leads the efforts to fully realize the power and value of the company’s rich portfolio of stories and characters across all media and platforms, while strategically integrating the DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD brands deeply into Warner Bros. Entertainment and all its content and distribution businesses. Her WBIE responsibilities include overseeing the development of a slate of top-tier digitally powered console and mobile games for WBIE, including those based on DC characters, as well as other Warner Bros. properties and original IP.

Nelson previously served as president of Warner Premiere, where she developed and produced direct-to-DVD feature films and short-form digital content for Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s distribution businesses. She was also executive VP of global brand management for Warner Bros. Entertainment. Prior to that, she served as executive VP of domestic marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures, having also held a number of other positions within the studio after joining the company in 1996 as director of worldwide corporate promotions. Nelson came to Warner Bros. from Walt Disney Records, where she served as director of national promotions.

Globe spent more than a decade overseeing the successful growth of the division by driving the licensing and retail strategy for the Company’s biggest franchises.

“It’s been a tremendously rewarding and exciting chapter in my career to be part of such a world-class company, whose portfolio of properties and content creates virtually unlimited opportunities for partners around the world,” said Globe. “From groundbreaking retail partnerships to industry-changing themed entertainment projects, I look back with great pride on all we’ve accomplished as a division. The time is right for me to close this chapter and open another, in which I plan to focus on creative and entrepreneurial business opportunities.”

During his tenure, Globe has helmed some of the industry’s most influential licensing initiatives, including development of WBCP’s robust themed entertainment business led by The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the state-of-the-art touring exhibition, Harry Potter: The Exhibition. Globe also championed the creation of innovative retail programs such as “Walmart Premiere Night” with “Man of Steel.” Most recently, he was instrumental in the development of DC Super Hero Girls, the first-ever superhero franchise just for girls.

Globe also spearheaded robust licensing programs around Warner Bros.’ tentpole films, including the highly anticipated “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” set for March 2016; the “Harry Potter” film franchise; Christopher Nolan‘s “The Dark Knight” trilogy; Zack Snyder‘s “Man of Steel,” and Peter Jackson‘s “The Hobbit” trilogy.

For more than 35 years, Globe has been a highly regarded executive in entertainment licensing, having developed some of the industry’s largest and most innovative merchandising and retail programs. Prior to joining WBCP, he launched and headed the consumer products business for DreamWorks SKG. Globe worked closely with Steven Spielberg for 20 years, having joined Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment in 1983, where he launched the consumer products business there.

In 1994, the Promotion Marketing Association of America honored his campaign for “Jurassic Park” as “Distinguished Achievement in Entertainment Marketing.” That same year, Advertising Age selected Globe as the co-honoree for “Marketer of the Year.” In February 2001, UJA Federation of New York honored Globe with a prestigious Licensing Achievement Award. And in 2004, Globe was inducted into LIMA’s Licensing Hall of Fame.

“Brad is among the most talented and respected entertainment licensing executives in the business and has been a real asset to Warner Bros., having led the continuous growth of WBCP over the past 11 years,” added Tsujihara. “Thanks to Brad, WBCP is well-positioned to take full advantage of the strong slate of content we have on the horizon. We’re grateful for the many contributions he’s made to our company.”

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