UNIVERSAL BRAND DEVELOPMENT STRENGTHENS SENIOR LEADERSHIP BENCH
BEN BRAUN JOINS EXECUTIVE TEAM AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
SANTIAGO CAPDEPONT NAMED SVP, HEAD OF OPERATIONS
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, October 3, 2017 — Universal Brand Development today announced the appointment of two executives to broaden its executive leadership team. Universal Pictures’ former SVP of Strategic Planning, Ben Braun, joins the Brand Development team as Chief Financial Officer. Ben will be responsible for managing the financial planning and analytics team, business development as well as serve as Controller for the division. Santiago Capdepont has been named to the newly created role of SVP, Head of Operations for Brand Development transitioning from his current role as SVP of Finance and Strategic Planning. In his new role, Capdepont will oversee the daily operations, systems and processes of the division’s growing global businesses. Both Capdepont and Braun will report directly to Universal Brand Development’s President, Vince Klaseus.
“The continued growth of our organization, which includes new businesses, departments and international offices gives us the opportunity to broaden our leadership bench by adding expertise and depth to our senior team,” said Vince Klaseus, President Universal Brand Development. “Ben joining our team allows us to strengthen our financial analytic capabilities and provide data-driving analysis of our business on a global scale, and Santi’s wide-ranging consumer products background will help us continue to build the international organization worldwide.”
In his new role as CFO, Braun will be responsible for managing the Financial Planning and Analytics team as well as Controllership and business development. Prior to joining the Brand Development team, Braun served as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for Universal Pictures. Before joining Universal, he was head of Business and Corporate Development for DreamWorks Animation. He also spent 9 years as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley where he most recently served as Executive Director. Braun will transition into his new Brand Development role in November.
In his new role, Capdepont will manage operational excellence and process building within the business units including stakeholder management, systems implementation, and strategic planning. Capdepont joined Universal Brand Development in 2015 as SVP, Finance and Strategic Planning. Prior to joining Universal, Capdepont held numerous roles at The Walt Disney Company, including chief financial officer of Disney Stores globally.
About Universal Brand Development
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company’s intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development’s core business units include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, and Live Entertainment based on the company's extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal cable and television. Universal Brand Development is a business segment of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
