Hasbro picks global head of marketing

US toy company Hasbro has promoted the president of its Tiger Electronics division, Roger Shiffman, to the newly created position of president of worldwide marketing and brand development.

Shiffman will be responsible for developing global marketing strategies for new product categories and initiatives. He will also chair Hasbro’s Brand Strategy Board, a group charged with developing the company’s overall strategy for its regional and global brands. Hasbro president Brian Goldner will take over responsibility for the Tiger division.

The toy company has also handed responsibility for its Wizards of the Coast division, which produces the Pokémon and Harry Potter trading cards, to Dave Wilson, president of Hasbro Games. Wizards of the Coast’s president and chief operating officer Vince Caluori will report to Wilson.

Last week Hasbro appointed Walt Disney’s UK marketing chief, Jonathan Evans, to the position of head of European marketing (MW last week). The company’s £6m pan-European creative advertising account is handled by Burkitt DDB. Hasbro’s UK media is handled by OMD.

Last month, Hasbro reported second-quarter losses of $18.3m (£12.6m) compared with earnings of $6.5m (£4.48m) for the same period in 2000, but claims it is back on track to be running at a profit by the end of the year.