Warner Bros. Technical Operations Announces Organizational Changes To Address New And Emerging Technology Trends

(April 27, 2010 – Burbank, CA) – Warner Bros. Technical Operations has made organizational changes to address trends occurring within the entertainment business, influenced by new and emerging technologies. As part of this restructuring, Brian McKay has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Production Operations, Warner Bros. Technical Operations, and Justin Herz has been promoted to the newly created joint position of Senior Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and General Manager, Warner Bros. Advanced Digital Services. These promotions were announced today by Darcy Antonellis, President, Warner Bros. Technical Operations. These changes reorganize the management of distribution operations globally, leverage the logical links and increasing dependencies between the Studio’s physical and digital businesses, and better respond to the acceleration of next-generation technology-based operations and supply chain models. These changes also bring together support for production, post production, theatrical distribution and mastering operations into one organizational structure. McKay is now responsible for the management of a newly consolidated organization that includes Media and Corporate Image Archives, Worldwide Mastering and Global Digital Media Xchange (GDMX). In his new role, Brian will oversee the digital conversion of theatrical and mastering operations and manage their interdependent digital strategies. He will continue to report to Antonellis. “Brian’s promotion recognizes the significant contributions that he’s quietly yet effectively made over a wonderful career at Warner Bros.,” said Antonellis. “His technical and operational expertise will help to identify and implement a host of opportunities that working within a digital environment enable.” As Senior Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer, Herz will be responsible for all aspects of the direct-to-consumer business within Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and will oversee the division’s eCommerce, customer relationship management, loyalty and related initiatives, developing strategies that generate value by creating and enhancing consumer engagement through direct interaction with Warner Bros. products and programs. As General Manager of Warner Bros. Advanced Digital Services, Herz is additionally responsible for overall management of the division’s operations, including cross-divisional client management and strategic planning, service offerings, internal product development, vendor services and integration, infrastructure, technology selection, project management and research and development for future products and services. He dually reports to Vicky Colf, who has been named Senior Vice President, Digital Solutions and Servicing, Warner Bros. Technical Operations, and Thomas Gewecke, President, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “Justin brings a unique mix of skills to our technology and distribution groups. His online commercial experience as well as development background will bring terrific expertise to this newly combined role,” said Antonellis. “In his expanded role, Justin adds oversight of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution’s direct-to-consumer business, which will create opportunities to maximize our internal resources efficiently and integrate our business and product development activities,” added Gewecke. McKay, a 23-year Studio veteran, began his career with Warner Bros. within Management Information Systems (MIS) as a programmer, working on systems for international television and domestic theatrical distribution and studio facilities. He has played a leadership, project management role for multiple supply chain, inventory and facility management systems initiatives. Within Technical Operations as Director of Business Systems Planning, he participated in the visioning and project management of a number of digitally-based platforms to accelerate access to content within the marketing and advertising space via the Studio’s MARS system as well as providing transactional support via its OASIS supply chain and inventory system – each the first of their kind respectively. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President, Theatrical Distribution and Mastering Operations providing operational and technology-based support in areas including Digital Cinema and within 3D. He holds a B.S. in computer science from California State University, Los Angeles. Herz most recently served as Vice President, Warner Bros. Advanced Digital Services, where he had oversight of marketing and production for the division, creating branded consumer sites such as warnerbros.com and HarryPotter.com. With a team of producers, project and product managers and design staff, he coordinated global online marketing and promotional campaigns to support theatrical, home video, games and consumer products releases, as well as supported the Studio’s direct-to-consumer efforts. Additionally, Herz managed the Advanced Digital Services mobile product development organization in the design and creation of Warner Bros. mobile applications and games, wireless application protocol sites and personalization content in support of the Studio’s mobile publishing and licensing business. Herz joined Warner Bros. in 2003 as Vice President, Client Services, Warner Bros. Online. Prior to Warner Bros., Herz helped start Tonos Entertainment and was Senior Vice President and General Manager at MTV Networks' Sonicnet.com and Vice President, Production, MTV Interactive. He holds a B.A. from Columbia University. About Warner Bros. Technical Operations Warner Bros. Technical Operations functions as a studio-wide organization that is responsible for identifying and developing technologies that facilitate business development and growth throughout Warner Bros. Entertainment. The division provides technologies and operational management for areas directly related to the worldwide distribution of the Studio's content (theatrical, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, digital, games and television), protection of content, asset management and distribution through traditional, new and emerging outlets. About Warner Bros. Advanced Digital Services Warner Bros. Advanced Digital Services (WBADS), a division of Warner Bros. Technical Operations, provides full-service, cutting-edge interactive solutions for Warner Bros. Entertainment subsidiaries. WBADS also oversees all aspects of warnerbros.com, which serves as the entry point into and aggregator of all things Warner Bros., including sites such as Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo and DC Comics. About Warner Bros. Digital Distribution Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) manages Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group's (WBHEG) electronic distribution over existing, new and emerging digital platforms, including pay-per-view, electronic sell-through, video-on-demand, wireless and more. WBDD also oversees the WBHEG's worldwide digital strategy, partnerships in digital services and emerging new clients and business activities in the digital space. # # #