Brian Goldner '85 joined the ranks of Dartmouth alumni presiding over major corporations last week, beginning his post as the chief executive officer of Hasbro, the nation's second largest toy company whose products include Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head and Transformers.
In his new position, Goldner hopes to popularize the Hasbro brand in the marketplace and lead the company to pursue ventures beyond toys and games, he said.
"We are really focused on our own brand -- reinventing, reigniting and reimagining -- not only as far as toys and games but in any number of play experiences," he said.
In the near future, Hasbro plans to broaden its involvement in the family entertainment world to include digital, console, online and cellphone games, along with television shows and motion pictures, Goldner added.
"We are trying to give consumers a chance to enjoy our brand at all levels," he said.
For Goldner, working in entertainment is nothing new. His involvement with Dartmouth's radio station landed him a career in advertising after graduation and he went on to advertise for companies such as 20th Century Fox and Fox Kids. His work in the advertising industry acquainted him with "putting a new product together and launching it in the market place," he said.
"I understand the entertainment industry and how to build a 360 degree entertainment experience for a brand," Goldner said. "That is the combination that I am trying to bring [to Hasbro]."
Prior to accepting his appointment as CEO, Goldner served as the company's chief operating officer.
A few years ago Goldner returned to Hanover to participate in a three-year executive training program sponsored by Hasbro at the Tuck School of Business, where he worked closely with Vijay Govindarajan, the director of Tuck's Center for Global Leadership. Goldner's marketing abilities will set him apart as a CEO, Govindarajan said.
"Hasbro is a toys and game company so marketing plays a big role," Govindarajan said. "[Goldner] understands consumer marketing and all about brand building."
The family entertainment industry is constantly shifting due to technological advancements, Govindarajan said, making dynamic leaders crucial to a company's success. The previous CEO of Hasbro, accountant Al Verrecchia, helped discipline the company when consumer attention was on the internet and games in the 1990s, he said. Now, however, Hasbro needs a marketing executive to help the company expand.
"[Goldner's] really in tune with the changes that are needed within the industry and his experience at Dartmouth will be very useful at Hasbro," Govindarajan said.
Goldner will face several challenges as CEO of Hasbro, Govindarajan said, including a need to adapt to international markets and a decline in target market because the number of children born globally is shrinking.
"The whole industry space is shrinking, yet at the same time, there are emerging markets -- for example in India -- but you can't send Monopoly to India just by changing the street name," Govindarajan said. "The family entertainment industry is culturally based, so you have to fundamentally transform and change if you want to sell there."
As Hasbro becomes more invested in technological games, it will face an increase in competitors such as EA Games and Sony, and the company will need to determine new and more innovative distribution channels, Govindarajan added.
"I think Goldner is ideal because he can deal with transformation," Govindarajan said.
