Robert Read Promoted to Senior Vice President, Worldwide HD Marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures International Entertainment

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert Read has been named Senior Vice President, Worldwide HD Marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment (USHE) and Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE), it was jointly announced today by Hilary Hoffman, Executive Vice President, Marketing, USHE and Melanie Nicholas, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales & Licensees, UPIE. Mr. Read previously served as Vice President, HD Strategic Marketing, Specialty Product & USHE Franchise Management. He will continue to be based in Los Angeles.

In his newly expanded role, Mr. Read will oversee Universal's high-definition initiatives worldwide, serving as global strategist of all new release, catalog and television offerings on Blu-ray™ as well as on other new formats including 3-D and digital home entertainment media. Robert will also continue in his current role as Brand Marketing lead on all Focus Features and Rogue Pictures product domestically.

Additionally, he will continue in his leadership capacity on numerous Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) marketing committees, including his role as Chairman of the Blu-ray Core Marketing Team and his participation on the 3D and DEG Europe committees.

"Robert's aggressive leadership in the Blu-ray arena to date has helped Universal make significant inroads into the format," said Ms. Hoffman. "During his six years with Universal, he has proven to be an extraordinarily effective marketer with great instincts and superior management skills and is the ideal executive to step into this critical role to further steer our Hi-Def marketing strategy domestically."

Ms. Nicholas added: "After spending two-and-a-half years with us at UPIE in London, Robert has been a valued member of Universal's Home Entertainment International marketing team and we are delighted with his new role. Robert's wealth of international marketing experience and his knowledge of the global Hi-Def landscape will ensure that UPIE will continue to be at the leading edge of the format."

Mr. Read joined USHE in 2004 as Vice President, Brand Marketing. In 2006, he then relocated to London to serve for two-and-a-half years with UPIE as Vice President, Brand Marketing for Catalog, TV on DVD, Special Interest and Studio Canal before returning to USHE in 2008.

Prior to Universal, Mr. Read served as Executive Director, Worldwide Strategic Marketing for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. He also held marketing positions at Mattel and Viacom Consumer Products. Mr. Read began his entertainment career as company manager at Tokyo-based Two-One Productions.  

Mr. Read earned a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles, in Theater, Film and Television as well as an MBA from the University of Southern California.  

Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures International Entertainment are units of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

SOURCE Universal Studios Home Entertainment

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