Dale Wahl joins LAIKA as ceo in Portland, Oregon. Robert Harold, the longtime Nike financial exec who came out of retirement to serve as interim ceo since March, 2005, will assist in the transition and retains his seat on LAIKAs board of directors.
Wahl, 62, a seasoned business executive with more than 30 years experience in global brands and financial management, was cfo for OH! Shoes since January of this year, following a four-year tenure at Metro One Telecommunications as cfo. From 1982-1998, he held several key executive positions at Nike Inc., both in the U.S. and in Asia.
In making the announcement, Philip H. Knight, LAIKA owner and chairman of the board of directors, said, First of all, sincere thanks to Bob Harold, who did a great job as interim ceo during these past seven months. Bob kept the company on track and in focus during this transitional period and his great management and personal integrity have set a great example for all of us.
Now we begin an exciting new phase in the evolution of LAIKA into a major force in the worlds of entertainment, media, and advertising, Knight continued. Dale is an extremely talented business leader who brings decades of experience in guiding new companies, building global brands, empowering talented creatives, and growing collaborative teams. He will continue to assemble the most talented roster of proven professionals for our entertainment and advertising divisions and he will bring the financial wisdom and infrastructure to our new company which will allow it to compete in the very competitive entertainment and advertising marketplaces.
I was drawn to the company because of my experience with Phil at Nike and I see that same innovative spirit, ambitious vision, creative inspiration, and team philosophy present at LAIKA, said Wahl. The artistic excellence here is unparalleled in the industry and I believe that my corporate experience will help LAIKA achieve its next level of success.
During his 16-year career at Nike, Wahl held a series of progressively more responsible positions in financial management, human resources, brand development and general management. His titles included corporate controller (1982-1984), corporate treasurer (1984-1990) and gm of the casual shoe division (1990-1994). From 1994-1998, Wahl held key executive positions at Nike, Japan.
Wahl began his career as an accountant for Omark Industries in 1965 and, subsequently, joined Price Waterhouse in 1970. He was subsidiary controller of Exact Electronics from 1972-1975, before joining Northwest Marine Iron Works, where he was vp/finance/treasurer until 1982.
LAIKA is a leading producer of character animation for commercials and feature films. On the entertainment side, the company is a production entity on TIM BURTONS CORPSE BRIDE and its initial CG animated project, director Henry Selicks short film, MOONGIRL, just won the Short Film Special Jury Prize at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. On the commercial side, the company is recognized as one of the top creators of character animation and a leading producer of animated commercials and shorts around the world, including long-running and iconic campaigns such as M&Ms, Samsung Korea, and Esure UK.
LAIKA (www.laika.com) absorbed Vinton Studios, a leading producer of CG, stop-motion, and cel animation for 30 years in July 2005 and benefits from its legacy of excellence, which includes an Academy Award-winning director, 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and more than 100 international accolades including the New York International Film & TV Festival, the Annecy Awards, the Annie Awards and the World Animation Celebration Festival.
