Corporate
March 4, 2009
Warner Bros. France Announces The Appointment Of Emmanuel Durand As VP Marketing - Hire Completes Warner Bros. France Senior Management Team
(March 4, 2009 – Paris) - Iris Knobloch, Président Directeur Général of Warner Bros. France, today announced the appointment of Emmanuel Durand as Vice President Marketing, Warner Bros. France. Reporting to Iris Knobloch, he will be responsible for marketing across Theatrical, Video, Digital and Games and will join the company in May.
With this appointment, and the company’s new management structure in place, Warner Bros. France aims to pursue its growth strategy by fostering a more integrated approach in a context of ever stronger media convergence and changing consumer needs.
In the new structure, Olivier Snanoudj (Deputy MD for Theatrical Distribution), under the direction of Iris Knobloch, will take on responsibility for the theatrical distribution of Warner’s US and French productions, working closely with Emmanuel Durand as VP of the new marketing function. Building on the strong position Warner Bros. has achieved in France as a partner to the local production community, Knobloch will assume direct responsibility for Warner's local production and acquisition strategy in France, in close cooperation with Richard Fox (Executive VP, International, Warner Bros.). The remaining senior management team comprises Yves Elalouf, (VP, Sales and Operations for Video, Games and Consumer Products), Caroline Lang, (Managing Director & VP Warner Bros. Television) and Julie Demarigny (Digital Distribution Executive Director).
“This newly created joint marketing function will be critical to the company’s marketing strategies, from a film’s initial release throughout all release windows," said Iris Knobloch.
"I am thrilled that Emmanuel Durand has decided to join us. His exceptional track record of creativity and business acumen will be key assets for our new organization. His extensive marketing experience across various industries will be instrumental in creating a best in class marketing function, critical to achieving our ambitious business objectives,” she added.
Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures added: "As people seek new ways to enjoy and access our entertainment brands, a coordinated strategic marketing approach becomes ever more critical to business success. I'm delighted that in France, we will be bringing our marketing functions all under a single executive of Emmanuel's calibre."
“Emmanuel’s appointment will be enormously helpful in the implementation of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group’s unified strategy for packaged goods and digital offerings,” said Jim Wuthrich, President, International Home Video and Digital Distribution. “His record of success and wide range of experience are a welcome addition to our team.”
Aged 41, Emmanuel Durand was most recently CEO of Cosmetic Active Suisse for L’OREAL in Zurich where he was responsible for 3 key brands under the L’Oreal label. Under his leadership, the Vichy brand achieved highest accumulated growth in Europe in 2008. He started his tenure at L’OREAL as General Manager of the La Roche Posay in Zurich before being promoted in his current role.
Prior to L’OREAL, Emmanuel Durand has acquired an impressive background in marketing and advertising in the music industry first as advertising director of UNIVERSAL MUSIC before being appointed as marketing director for SONY MUSIC. Emmanuel Durand graduated from DAUPHINE in Finance and Marketing in 1990 and also holds a DESS in Television & Telecoms management from Dauphine. # # #