Brian Goldner, who led transformation a Hasbro, dies at 58

NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Goldner, who arsenic CEO and president spearheaded Hasbro’s translation from a artifact institution to an amusement force, has died. He was 58.

The announcement Tuesday came 2 days aft the Pawtucket, Rhode Island, institution said Goldner was taking a aesculapian permission of absence.

Hasbro did not springiness a origin of death, but Goldner disclosed successful August 2020 that helium had been undergoing attraction for crab since 2014.

Goldner, who joined Hasbro successful 2000, served arsenic the CEO of Hasbro Inc. since 2008, and arsenic president since May 2015.

Under his stewardship, Hasbro expanded beyond toys and games into television, movies, integer gaming and different areas. That strategy culminated with the 2019 acquisition Entertainment One Ltd., a British amusement institution that produces “Peppa Pig,” “PJ Masks” and different animated shows for preschoolers.

Goldner besides served connected the committee of ViacomCBS.

Marc Rosenberg, a artifact advisor who intimately worked intimately with Goldner arsenic a selling enforcement astatine Hasbro 15 years ago, said that Goldner was ever funny successful telling a communicative astir toys and went to the archives to propulsion retired specified brands arsenic My Little Pony, Transformers and the Littlest Pet Shop.

“His thought was to instrumentality brands that had been sitting dormant and reimagine them,” helium said. “He ever said you person to person a communicative arc, whether it is toys oregon movies.”

When Hasbro announced Goldner’s aesculapian leave, it said that Rich Stoddart, astir precocious the pb autarkic manager of the company’s board, had been appointed arsenic interim CEO. Stoddart was antecedently CEO astatine selling institution InnerWorkings Inc. and Leo Burnett Worldwide. He has served connected Hasbro’s committee since 2014.