Kevin Tsujihara
Kevin Tsujihara | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kevin Ken Tsujihara October 25, 1964 Petaluma, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of Southern California Stanford University |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | Sandy Tsujihara |
| Children | 2 |
Kevin Ken Tsujihara (born October 25, 1964) is an American businessman, and former chairman and CEO of Warner Bros Entertainment. He succeeded Barry Meyer as CEO in March 2013, and as chairman in December 2013, having previously served as president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Upon assuming the role of CEO, Tsujihara became the first Asian American to run a major film studio.[1]
Early life
Kevin Tsujihara was born to Shizuo and Miyeko "Mickey" Tsujihara and grew up in Petaluma, California. He is of Japanese American heritage. He and his family owned Empire Egg Company, a company that distributed eggs to markets across the San Francisco Bay Area. Tsujihara graduated from the University of Southern California and earned an MBA degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business. After graduating from Stanford, he launched QuickTax Inc., a tax preparation website.[1][2]
Career
Tsujihara joined Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. in 1994 as the director of special projects finance, primarily dealing with the company's interest in Six Flags Theme Parks, which had been acquired by Warner Bros.' parent company Time Warner (now WarnerMedia) in 1990. While employed at Warner Bros., he also focused on business development and online content. In 2005, Tsujihara was given the position of president of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment unit, which focuses on the home video, online distribution and video games for the company.[1][3][4]
In January 2013, Tsujihara was named the new chief executive officer of Warner Bros. after the announcement that Barry Meyer would retire from the position on March 1, 2013. This made him the first Asian American to be the CEO of a major Hollywood studio and the fifth leader in the 90-year history of Warner Bros.[4][1]
On March 6, 2019, there were reports that WarnerMedia was investigating allegations that Tsujihara had promised auditions and/or acting jobs to British actress Charlotte Kirk in return for sex.[5][6] On March 8, 2019 Tsujihara released a memo apologizing to his colleagues at WarnerMedia for his behavior.[7] A statement issued by Tsujihara's attorney stated that Tsujihara “did not have a direct role in the actress being cast in any movie".[8] Tsujihara resigned on March 18, 2019 as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.[9] In September 2020, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Tsujihara and former NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ronald Meyer may have colluded to cover up the real nature of their relationships with Charlotte Kirk.[10]
Personal life
Tsujihara and his wife, Sandy, have two children.[11] Tsujihara serves on the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) Board of Governors.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d "Petaluma native Kevin Tsujihara named CEO of Warner Bros. studio". The Press Democrat. January 29, 2013. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ "Warner Bros.' new CEO, Kevin Tsujihara, at a glance". Los Angeles Times. January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (January 28, 2013). "Tsujihara to Succeed Meyer as Head of Warner Brothers". The New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ a b Waxman, Sharon (January 28, 2013). "Kevin Tsujihara: I'll Continue Warner Bros. Legacy in 'Tough Environment'". Yahoo! News. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana; Masters, Kim (March 6, 2019). ""I Need to Be Careful": Texts Reveal Warner Bros. CEO Promoted Actress Amid Apparent Sexual Relationship". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (March 6, 2019). "Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara Under Investigation for Allegations of Sexual Impropriety". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (2019-03-08). "Warner Bros.' Kevin Tsujihara Apologizes in Memo Amid Misconduct Probe". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (2019-03-06). "WarnerMedia to Investigate Claims Involving a Top Executive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
- ^ Faughnder, Ryan (March 18, 2019). "Kevin Tsujihara out as CEO of Warner Bros". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ "Charlotte Kirk, Kevin Tsujihara and a Nonconsensual Sex Allegation That Sparked a Secret Legal Saga". Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (2013-03-27). "Warner Bros. Embraced Digital Future With Choice of Kevin Tsujihara as CEO". Variety. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
- ^ "About Us". mptf.com. Retrieved 2021-02-04.