Hasbro Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) CEO Brian D. Goldner passed away recently after a years-long battle with prostate cancer. Goldner's time as CEO led to Hasbro's considerable expansions into branded entertainment, built upon his innovative "Brand Blueprint" model.
Brian D. Goldner was born on April 23, 1963. After attending Dartmouth College, Goldner began his professional career at a marketing firm in New York. Goldner's entry into the toy industry proper would be in 1997 when he joined pre-merger Bandai. While working at Bandai, Goldner participated in transforming the imported Japanese superhero show "Super Sentai" into the popular "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" line of toys accompanying the westernized show.
Golder would start his tenure at Hasbro in 2000, landing at Tiger Electronics, which had been acquired by the company years prior. By 2008, Goldner was first named Chief Operating Officer before quickly being appointed to the position of CEO, beginning a 13-year tenure that had likely been the dream of many children; running a toy company.
Goldner relished in the veritable dream role, having a voicemail recorded by Optimus Prime, and finding great joy in the popularity of Hasbro board games amid the pandemic, adoring the prospect that the company's games were bringing families together during a trying time. Goldner's love of Hasbro's products was best illustrated by the Brand Blueprint that he had pioneered, which focused on building toy and media brands around well-crafted storylines and lore. The Brand Blueprint and its emphasis on a strongly written core translated to many smash successes for the company, from "My Little Pony" (which will begin airing a new show on Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) soon) to "Transformers".
Goldner is survived by his wife Barbara and his daughter Brooke. Brandon Goldner, the couple's son, passed away in 2015 from an accidental heroin overdose.