Hasbro Promotes Digital Gaming Head Chris Cocks To CEO

Hasbro has appointed a CEO to replace Brian Goldner, who died in October.

Chris Cocks (pictured at top), the current president and COO of Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming division, will take up the role on February 25. Eric Nyman will become the company’s new president and COO.

Here are the details:

• Chris Cocks will take over from interim CEO Rich Stoddart, who will become chair of the board. Hasbro expects to name a new Wizards of the Coast president in the coming weeks.
• Wizards publishes role-playing games, board games, and card games, including Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. Cocks has served in his current role since 2016.
• Revenue at the subsidiary has more than doubled under him, exceeding $1 billion in 2021. Last February, Wizards was made part of a new unit that includes digital licensing for Hasbro’s entire business.
• Previously, Cocks worked at Microsoft. He served as vp, OEM Technical Sales and served in product management and marketing leadership positions at MSN and Xbox Games, working on video-game franchises like Halo and Fable.
• As Hasbro’s president and COO, Eric Nyman will oversee global business, operational, and foundational platform investments. He will also continue to lead the overall consumer licensing strategy and strategic partnerships, as well as oversee the global supply chain.
• Since joining Habro in 2003, Nyman has held various senior roles. He is currently chief consumer officer and COO of Hasbro Consumer Products.
• Brian Goldner was named Hasbro’s CEO in 2008. Under his tenure, the company became an entertainment giant, shifting its focus from mostly making toys to building brands through media franchises.
• This involved animation. Hasbro acquired Boulder Media, one of Ireland’s largest animation studios. A $3.8 billion acquisition of Entertainment One, the Canadian owner of properties like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, followed in 2019. Toy lines like My Little Pony got new animated spin-offs.
• This expansion into other forms of entertainment fell under what Goldner called the “blueprint” strategy. Cocks will continue it. Stoddart says of him: “He is a highly strategic leader, with the vision, skills, and experience to unlock our Brand Blueprint for supercharged growth.”