The toymaker Hasbro announced on Tuesday that its Chief Executive Officer Brian Goldner has passed away, just two days after he took medical leave.
Goldner, 58, had been serving as CEO since 2008. He joined the business in 2000 and became chairman of Hasbro’s board in 2015.
Rich Stoddart, most recently the lead independent director of Hasbro’s board, was appointed as interim CEO when Goldner took medical leave.
“Since joining the company more than two decades ago, Brian has been the heart and soul of Hasbro,” Stoddart said in a statement. “As a charismatic and passionate leader in both the play and entertainment industries, Brian’s work brought joy and laughter to children and families around the world.”
Last August, Goldner disclosed that he had been undergoing continued medical treatment for cancer since 2014.
While at Hasbro, he successfully grew the business beyond toys and games, and into television, movies and digital gaming. Goldner’s tenure was marked by a focus in leveraging the company’s brands across entertainment.
In 2019, he pioneered Hasbro’s $3.8 billion acquisition of Entertainment One, the Toronto-based studio known for “Peppa Pig” and “PJ Masks.”
Goldner also served as a director on the ViacomCBS board.
Read the full press release from Hasbro here.
—CNBC’s Sarah Whitten contributed to this reporting.
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