Universal Parks Merges Divisions to Form New Products and Experiences Group

Universal has merged its brand development team with its parks and resorts merchandise group to create the newly formed products and experiences division. The current Universal Brand Development president, Vince Klaseus, will lead the new division. He will report directly to Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and Resorts.

Universal has merged its brand development team with its parks and resorts merchandise group to create the newly formed products and experiences division.

The current Universal Brand Development president, Vince Klaseus, will lead the new division. He will report directly to Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and Resorts.

Universal Parks and Resorts in the U.S. are Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort. The company’s Products and Experiences group operates by extending the Universal-owned characters and stories — like Jurassic Park and Minions — by bringing them to life in through toys, collectables, books, apparel, lifestyle categories, video games and digital initiatives like NFTs. By operating together, Woodbury says, the teams can work “on a much larger scale.”

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“Joining these two talented teams into one group creates a powerhouse division focused on compelling consumer products and experiences both inside and outside our theme parks,” said Woodbury. “Our goal is to create products and experiences for fans that are as innovative and compelling as our lands and attractions. This team can now deliver and execute that on a much larger scale.”

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Klaseus adds, “We’ve built a robust, successful, and expansive CP business over the last few years, and now by combining the creativity and innovation capabilities of the theme park’s direct consumer and retail skills, we’re going to take our collective business to new heights for consumers, our team, and the company overall. 2022 has been a phenomenal year for our CP business with properties like Jurassic World, Minions, and Gabby’s Dollhouse taking off to new heights. That strength plus the phenomenal theme park performance and guest experiences makes this team coming together even more powerful. I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish together with the combined team focused on new areas of growth and collaboration across physical and digital product categories and retail.”


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