DHX Media Ltd. of Halifax has announced that Eric Ellenbogen has been appointed chief executive officer and vice-chair of the board of directors.
Ellenbogen succeeds Michael Donovan, who has stepped down as CEO. Donovan is also no longer executive chair but will continue to serve on the board as founding chair, according to a news release.
Donald Wright has been appointed non-executive chair.
“We are delighted to announce that Eric will lead DHX Media in fully realizing the value of our extraordinary media assets,” Wright said in the release.
“Eric brings fresh leadership and a clear vision to our company, as well as a 30-year track record of creating significant shareholder value in the media space. In the nine months since he has joined our board, while also serving as a strategic adviser, he has worked closely with our senior leadership team and gained a deep understanding of our company.”
Given his broad perspective and decades of industry experience and success, management is confident Ellenbogen will be able to move the company forward from the get-go as CEO, said Wright, who also thanked Donovan for his years of leadership.
“As founder of DHX Media, Michael has played a significant role in building the company into the global entertainment force it is today. We are pleased that he will remain on the board.”
Ellenbogen has spent more than 30 years running entertainment businesses, according to DHX, including holding senior management roles as president of Broadway Video Entertainment, the TV and film production and distribution company founded by Lorne Michaels; president of Golden Books Family Entertainment; and president and CEO of Marvel Enterprises before its acquisition by Disney.
With the backing of private equity in 2000, he co-founded Classic Media, which became a large private owner of branded kids and family entertainment. It was acquired by DreamWorks Animation in 2012.
At DWA, Ellenbogen became co-head of DreamWorks Classics and DreamWorks International Television, and was largely responsible for the company’s entry into the television business.
Following DWA’s sale to NBCUniversal, Ellenbogen became co-president of Classic Media, which was restarted as a business unit of NBCUniversal.
Ellenbogen was a board director of Golden Books and Marvel, then both public companies, and is a trustee of the Public Theater in New York City. He is a graduate of Harvard College and holds an MBA from UCLA.
“DHX Media has an unmatched portfolio of kids and family content with high-profile, beloved characters, including Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou and Inspector Gadget,” Ellenbogen said in the release.
“In addition to its library and leading animation studios, DHX Media has built a truly unique asset in WildBrain, one of the largest kids networks on YouTube, with unparallelled reach and engagement. I’m pleased to have the opportunity to work with the management team, employees and our many valued partners and customers to deliver leading content and brands for audiences worldwide.”
DHX Media is a global children’s content and brands company. A prominent producer of children’s shows, DHX Media says it owns the world’s largest independent library of children’s content, at 13,000 half-hours. It licenses its content to broadcasters and streaming services worldwide and generates royalties through its global consumer products program. Headquartered in Canada, DHX Media has offices around the world.
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