Jo Yan Named Managing Director and Executive Vice President, China for Universal Pictures International

Jo Yan Named Managing Director and Executive Vice President, China for Universal Pictures International



UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., July 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Pictures today

announced that Jo Yan has been named Managing Director and Executive Vice

President,China for Universal Pictures International (UPI).  In this role, Yan

will be responsible for building an office inChina and overseeing the film

group's theatrical and digital distribution as well as its local Chinese

language production efforts.  Yan will also help establish and implement

strategic goals for Universal Pictures, NBCUniversal and Comcast in this

region.  The announcement was made by UPI President, Distribution Duncan Clark.

Managing Director and Executive Vice President, China for Universal Pictures

International (UPI) "China is one of our most significant international

territories and it is imperative that Universal has a strong, well-respected

leader as we expand our presence in this region," said Clark.  "Jo is the

perfect choice to build and lead our Chinese office, and we are delighted that

he has decided to join our leadership team."

As Managing Director and Executive Vice President, China, Yan will also

oversee, in conjunction with the studio's consumer products group, the

development of Universal brands and licensing business in the region. 

Additionally, he will assist Illumination Entertainment with its effort to grow

in the Chinese marketplace by serving as a creative advisor, helping to source

local intellectual property and identifying companies who could provide

animation services.

Prior to joining Universal, Yan spent 20 years at The Walt Disney Company. 

SinceApril 2010 he held the title of Senior Vice President of Studio

Distribution forGreater China, where he oversaw Mainland China, Hong Kong and

Taiwan, covering theatrical and expanding into all formats available for

in-home consumption of the studio's rich and diverse slate.  Before that, Yan

was appointed Senior Vice President of Sales, Acquisitions and Co-productions

for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Asia-Pacific in 2006.  He joined the

company in 1994 as Buena Vista International's head of sales in theAsia-Pacific

market, growing the company's presence in the region. 

Yan began his career in the film industry in 1990, joining the Asia regional

office of Orion Pictures International before being hired two years later by

Hong Kong distributor Intercontinental Distributors.  Yan has won numerous

awards throughout his career for his commercial achievements, including

CineAsia's distinguished Distributor of the Year Award in 2011.  Yan is also a

committed philanthropist, and while at Disney he founded the employee

initiative called Project Mulan, which has helped build seven primary schools

benefitting thousands of children in some of the poorest areas inChina since

2001. 

He is a graduate of the University of Kent at Canterbury with a B.A. in

Accounting, Politics and Government.



SOURCE Universal Pictures International

Universal Pictures International


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