Jeffrey Edell has been appointed president/coo of DIC Ent., replacing Brad Brooks, who returns to investment banking with a position he accepted at Imperial Capital. Brooks was asked to continue as a consultant to DICs senior management in finance and strategy assessment. Edell will manage DICs operating units worldwide, including consumer products, television and home entertainment. The companys creative division will continue to report directly to Andy Heyward, DIC chairman/ceo.
Jeff brings a wealth of experience in executive positions and an extensive degree of expertise in brand management which will be invaluable as we continue to build DIC into a leading childrens media company, said Heyward. Brad has been a key contributor to the tremendous growth and success of DIC, and I am pleased he will still play an active role in assessing new business opportunities for the company.
I am extremely proud of DICs accomplishments over the past five years as the company has grown into one of the pre-eminent suppliers of childrens content worldwide, stated Brooks. DIC will continue to have a strong management structure in place with Jeffs appointment.
Edell was president/ceo of MFC Development Corp., a direct response marketing and branding company focused on health, beauty, fitness and home consumer products. Previously, he was chairman of Intermix Media Inc., the owner of a multitude of online businesses, including developing and operating MySpace. Edell was instrumental at Intermix in the strategic and organizational development of the business, including the successful transition from the NASDAQ to the AMEX prior to the sale of the company to News Corp. for more than $600 million in 2005.
Prior to Intermix, Edell was president/ceo of Soundelux Ent. Group, an independent provider of entertainment content and technology to the film, television and music industries. During Edells tenure at Soundelux, the creative staff garnered five Academy Awards and some 50 Emmy Awards.
Edell is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He was also named the NASDAQ and Ernst and Young Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000.
DIC Ent., a fully-integrated global brand management company, creates, develops, produces, distributes, markets and merchandises family-based intellectual properties. DIC has the largest libraries of western-style animation with approximately 2,800 half-hours of renowned programming. In 2003, the company launched the DIC Kids Network, a unique syndicated programming block designed to meet core FCC requirements and the only network for kids that reaches effectively 98% of U.S. households on more than 300 stations. As a pre-eminent supplier of kids programming worldwide, DIC has developed strategic partnerships with key domestic and international broadcast partners throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. DIC is headquartered in Burbank, California, with international offices in Paris, London and Cologne.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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