Former Marvel, DreamWorks Exec Eric Ellenbogen Takes Helm at DHX Media

DHX Media appointed Eric Ellenbogen as its new CEO and vice chair of the board of directors. Ellenbogen joined the board at DHX Media in April and served as president and CEO of the pre-Disney Marvel Enterprises in the late 1990s. After, he co-founded Classic Media, which was sold to DreamWorks Animation and rebranded DreamWorks Classics in 2012. He assumed his new role on Friday.

“We are delighted to announce that Eric will lead DHX Media in fully realizing the value of our extraordinary media assets,” says Donald Wright, newly appointed non-executive chair. “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 advisor, he has worked closely with our senior leadership team and gained a deep understanding of our company. Given his broad perspective and decades of relevant industry experience and success, we are confident that Eric will be able to move the company forward from the get-go as CEO.”

Outgoing CEO Michael Donovan, who stepped down as both CEO and executive chair, will continue to serve on the Board of Directors as founding chair.

“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,” says Ellenbogen. “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 unparalleled 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.”

Most recently, Ellenbogen served as co-head of DreamWorks Classics and DreamWorks International Television.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.