It's official. In a move that's surprised many Hollywood insiders, Kevin Tsujihara has been named the new CEO of Warner Brothers. After a fiercely fought battle for the job, Tsujihara will succeed Barry Meyer as head of Warner Bros Entertainment starting March 1: Kevin Tsujihara Named CEO of Warner Bros.
Tsujihara edged out rival execs Bruce Rosenblum, president of Warner Bros. Television, and Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures, after a tense two-year corporate runoff for the studio's top post. And if what people are saying is correct, he will become the first Asian American to run a major Hollywood studio.
As president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group since 2005, Tsujihara, 48, currently oversees the company's home video, digital distribution, video games, anti-piracy and emerging technology operations.Welcome to the future. Tsujihara's will be responsible for steering the company in a rapidly changing media landscape where viewers are ditching traditional means of consuming movies and television increasingly watching digital content pretty much anytime and anywhere on any device they want.
He joined Warner Bros. in 1994 as director of special projects, finance, to assist in the management of the company's interest in Six Flags. Across his nearly two decades with the company, he has served as executive vp corporate business development & strategy at Warner Bros. Entertainment and executive vp new media, responsible for the oversight of all Warner Bros.' new-media endeavors.
But considering all the corporate infighting that has raged over this job for last two years, Tsujihara has got his work cut out for him: At Warner Bros., new CEO's first task is to bring peace to studio.
