Deadline.com reports that former Wizards of the Coast COO Chris Cocks has been promoted to CEO of the company, filling a gap left by the passing of Brian Goldner. Effective late next month, Cocks takes over from interim CEO Rich Stoddart. Stoddart is confident in the formal successor’s odds, saying, “Having known Chris for years and working more closely with him these last several months, I have no doubt that he will be an extraordinary leader for the next phase of Hasbro’s journey.”
Chris Cocks had previously served as president and COO of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro’s digital gaming division, and during his tenure WOTC grew its revenue more than double, reaching $1-billion-plus levels. Prior to amping up the success of WOTC, Cocks led the MSN and XBox Games teams at Microsoft, which is what may have made him an attractive prospect to run Hasbro’s digital games end. He now brings those years of experience to running the company.
Cocks has big shoes to fill, if the outpouring of gratitude and sympathy for Goldner’s loss is any indication, as well as the strides Goldner had taken to bring the brand into the entertainment space. In a statement, Cocks noted “Hasbro has amazing brands, gifted storytellers and unique entertainment assets, and I am humbled to step into the position of CEO at this important time and to build on the strong foundation Brian created.”
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Source: The AllSpark
