DreamWorks Animation has hired Mark Zoradi (left) as COO of the company. Ann Daly (center) will be promoted to president of the studio and Lew Coleman (right) will also take on the vice chairman job, in addition to his roles as CFO and acting chief accounting officer.
“As DreamWorks grows, we are focusing on creating a strong management structure that has the expertise and capacity to best serve the changing needs of our company,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation CEO, in a statement. “Ann and I are thrilled to welcome Mark to the DreamWorks family.”
These new additions come ahead of the company’s Q2 earnings call Tuesday. The studio also recently hired Michael Francis as chief global brand officer and Margie Cohn as head of television.
The new hires and promotions come after a disastrous first quarter, where the company had a net loss of nearly $43 million, largely due to the underperformance of “Mr. Peabody and Sherman.” For Q2, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” did not perform as well as expected, although it is unclear at this time how much that will affect share price.
“I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to join the talented DreamWorks team at a time of remarkable expansion and growth for the company,” said Zoradi. “DreamWorks’ family of beloved characters and stories are known around the world and I look forward to helping to build and expand their reach with new businesses and venues.”
Zoradi most recently served as president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group and has had a 30-year tenure in the entertainment industry, including time at the Disney Channel and Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
Over the past year and a half, DreamWorks Animation has been building a television division, an in-house publishing arm, and has acquired AwesomenessTV and launched DreamWorksTV, further diversifying the studio’s assets.
