Turner Taps Rovio Exec for Cartoon Network Enterprises Role

HONG KONG: Turner Asia Pacific has appointed Eric Lee, formerly of Rovio Entertainment, as the location-based entertainment (LBE) director for the region, effective immediately.

In this new position for Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), Turner’s licensing and merchandising arm, Lee will lead the LBE business in the Asia-Pacific region. He is charged with identifying opportunities to develop consumer-facing experiences such as waterparks, theme parks, branded retail and entertainment spaces, using Cartoon Network’s global kids’ IP like The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, We Bare Bears and Adventure Time, as well as Turner’s other youth-focused brands.

Lee’s appointment is part of a wider strategy by Turner to become a more consumer-centric and IP-focused company. Lee joins Turner from Rovio Entertainment in Europe, where he served as director for global LBE.

Clément Schwebig, Turner Asia Pacific’s senior VP of business development who oversees Cartoon Network Enterprises, said, “Eric is a talented and experienced individual who will straight away look to forge strategic relationships with local partners that will enable us to engage existing fans and win over new ones. LBE and the themed attraction business has huge potential for growth in Asia Pacific, and Cartoon Network’s world-famous franchises are well-loved by kids and families across the region.”

Turner is making strides in the location-based entertainment space. The waterpark Cartoon Network Amazone opened in 2014, and earlier this year, Turner opened a Tuzki-themed restaurant in Shanghai. In Dubai, Cartoon Network is set to open its own themed zone at IMG Worlds of Adventure.