Craig Kornblau

Serving as President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment (USHE) since March 1999,    Mr. Kornblau oversees Universal’s North American home entertainment operations, including sales, distribution, marketing, operations, finance and legal for all Blu-ray and DVD releases of theatrical titles from Universal Pictures and Focus Features, as well as for NBC Universal’s television properties and the division’s original home entertainment content production arm, Universal 1440 Entertainment.  During his tenure, Mr. Kornblau has worked to establish Universal as an innovator in Blu-ray/DVD marketing, distribution and production, while remaining wholly dedicated to the continued development and advancement of the home entertainment industry.

In addition to spearheading USHE’s physical products business, Mr. Kornblau has helped to launch the division’s burgeoning digital sell-through and rental businesses, working closely with the industry’s largest retailers including Wal-Mart and Best Buy to augment their Web commerce offerings.

An avid proponent of new technologies, Mr. Kornblau has led the company in its early adoption of cutting-edge digital platforms, including piloting the charge of the industry’s nationwide launch of next-generation, high-definition discs. At the same time, he demonstrated his firm commitment in April 2006 to the untapped world of electronic sell-thru and set the bar for the industry’s evolving digital platform by making Brokeback Mountain available through Movielink for digital download day and date with the film’s initial DVD release. His aggressive entrée into digital space has since expanded to include industry-setting, pacts with Apple’s iTunes, AOL, CinemaNow, Amazon, VUDU, Sony’s PlayStation, and Microsoft’s Xbox, among others. Most recently, Mr. Kornblau influenced the development and BETA launch of the pioneering digital storage offering, UltraViolet.

Additionally, he has led the industry charge in establishing unprecedented, critical windowing agreements with rental kiosk companies Redbox and NCR as well as with the subscription rental service, Netflix.

In the original productions arena, Mr. Kornblau successfully launched an aggressive new company initiative in 2005 to develop superior made-for-DVD content specifically for the home entertainment sell-through and television markets. Since its inception, the strategy has produced four of the top five live-action, non-family DVD Original releases of all time, as well as the two-time Emmy^® Award-winning animated children’s TV series based on the studio’s beloved Curious George franchise.  That initiative has since expanded to include a lucrative, franchised-based, national touring stage show, Bring It On: The Musical, which successfully ascended to Broadway. Additionally, Mr. Kornblau re-energized the company’s family entertainment efforts, striking an unprecedented, hugely successful,  multi-picture, multi-year worldwide alliance with renowned toymaker Mattel to market and distribute its feature-length Barbie-branded DVD fare.

Spearheading Universal’s aggressive approach to marketing and distribution, Mr. Kornblau has overseen the release of such notable home entertainment blockbusters as Les Miserables, TED, Pitch Perfect, Dr. Suess’ The Lorax, Hop, Bridesmaids, Fast Five,  Despicable Me, Inglourious Basterds, Public Enemies, Couples Retreat, Mamma Mia!, Wanted, The Incredible Hulk, King Kong, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. He has also successfully propelled prized Universal franchises such as Meet the Parents, The Fast and the Furious, The Mummy, Bring It On, The Bourne series, and the hugely successful American Pie films, of which four of the eight franchise installments were produced exclusively for Blu-ray/DVD.

Also under Mr. Kornblau’s direction, Universal also established itself as a leader in the TV-to-DVD marketplace, successfully launching such lucrative properties as the incomparable “Law & Order” franchise, “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “House,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Heroes” and “Monk,” as well as such notable classic series as “Miami Vice,” “Leave it to Beaver,” “Rockford Files” and “Northern Exposure.” At the same time, Mr. Kornblau was instrumental in Universal’s re-launching of catalog titles for the first time on Blu-ray with specialized releases of the studio’s prized gems E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Jaws, Scarface, The Big Lebowski, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, To Kill A Mockingbird, Casino, Apollo 13, Animal House, and Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection, Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection, among many others.

Mr. Kornblau came to Universal from Buena Vista Home Entertainment, where he served as Senior Vice President, Worldwide Operations and Logistics. In that capacity, he pioneered Direct Account Management, and served as the chief architect of this system which set a new standard within the home video industry.  He was also responsible for the development and implementation of the vendor managed direct-to-retail operations of Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood and Miramax Home Video and Disney Interactive with major mass merchants including Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target.  Previously, Mr. Kornblau worked as a financial auditor/consultant for Arthur Young and Company (now Ernst & Young).

Mr. Kornblau currently serves as Vice President of the Digital Entertainment Group’s Executive Committee.