Hasbro Names New CEO

Hasbro Names New CEO

Hasbro on Wednesday announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Chris Cocks as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors, effective February 25, 2022.

Cocks currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming division.

He will succeed Interim CEO, Rich Stoddart, who was appointed following the October passing of Hasbro’s longtime CEO Brian Goldner.

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Cocks appointment will spark more questions about Hasbro’s future in Rhode Island.  The company was considering building a new corporate campus in Providence prior to the pandemic and also moved some key functions out of state.

In 2019, Hasbro bought eOne for $4 billion in an all-cash deal.

Tracy Leinbach, current Chair of the Board, said: “Chris’s appointment marks the culmination of an extensive and thoughtful candidate review and selection process led by the Board. In Chris, we have chosen a leader uniquely positioned to execute and evolve Hasbro’s Brand Blueprint strategy while continuing to generate growth and deliver strong shareholder returns. Chris’s extensive omni-channel experience and proven track record make him the ideal leader for Hasbro as it continues to become the world’s leading play and entertainment company. On behalf of the Board, we thank Rich for serving as Interim CEO during a difficult time for the Hasbro family and are delighted he will serve as Chair of our Board.”

Cocks said about his appointment, “Hasbro has amazing brands, gifted storytellers and unique entertainment assets, and I am humbled to step into the position of CEO at this important time and to build on the strong foundation Brian created. Our consumer products, gaming and entertainment teams are the best and most creative in the business and have shown such incredible resilience. I look forward to working with our highly-experienced senior management team as we continue to reimagine play and entertainment and deliver experiences to families and fans, of all ages, around the world.”

Cocks has served as President and COO of Wizards of the Coast since 2016, when he joined Hasbro from Microsoft. Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, offers games and entertainment under world-renowned brands such as MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and DUEL MASTERS. Under Mr. Cocks, Wizards of the Coast has focused on cooperative game play, expanding new digital initiatives and creating a robust workforce of back-end developers, digital designers, 3D artists and producers. Under Mr. Cocks’s leadership, revenue at Wizards of the Coast has more than doubled, surpassing $1 billion in 2021.

During his 14 years at Microsoft, Cocks led a global sales and technical engagement team as Vice President, OEM Technical Sales and served in product management and marketing leadership positions at MSN and Xbox Games, where he worked on hit franchises like HALO and FABLE.