Van Toffler, President, MTV Networks Music & Logo Group, today announced two key executive appointments for MTV Games, a unit of Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks. Scott Guthrie, formerly Executive Vice President of Publishing for THQ, joins MTV Games as its new Executive Vice President and General Manager to lead the fast-growing video game publishing group's management team. Also joining MTV Games as Senior Vice President of Sales is David Cox, formerly Senior Director, Sales and Merchandising for Sony Computer Entertainment America.
"With our acquisition of Harmonix to our relationship with Jerry Bruckheimer Games, Inc., MTV Games has quickly risen to become one of the top five video gaming publishers," said Toffler. "We're going after the best in music video gaming with Rock Band and the best in story telling with our Bruckheimer partnership, and now we have the best leaders and team in place to bring MTV Games to the next level and grow through the next evolution in video games."
As EVP and GM of MTV Games, Guthrie will direct the unit's publishing strategy and execution including marketing, sales and distribution of all MTV Games products, which includes the successful "Rock Band" franchise developed by Cambridge, MA based Harmonix Music Systems which Viacom's MTV Networks acquired in 2006. Guthrie is charged with setting the business direction for all marketing, sales, bundling, sourcing, purchasing, planning and supply-chain management and manufacturing of MTV Games' video game products, with an emphasis on managing domestic and worldwide growth for the group's established brands and pipeline of products. He will be based out of MTV Networks' New York City headquarters and report directly to President Van Toffler.
At THQ, Guthrie managed the company's Global Brand Management teams as well as its America Sales and Distribution which served retailers and distribution through North America and Latin America. Prior to joining THQ, Guthrie held multiple roles at The Walt Disney Company's Buena Vista Home Entertainment group in the United States and Canada, most recently as the Senior Vice President of Sales and Distribution. He also held sales and marketing positions at PepsiCo and Colgate-Palmolive.
In his new role as Senior Vice President of Sales for MTV Games, Cox will manage sales for the gaming division, with an emphasis on the execution of short-term distribution plans and development of long-term strategic sales strategies. Cox will work to maximize the breadth of catalogue with MTV Games' distribution partner, Electronic Arts, and leverage long-standing relationships with key retail buyers to build go-to-market strategies and drive revenue. Cox will be based out of San Francisco and report into General Manager Scott Guthrie.
Cox brings more than 20 years of sales leadership experience and relationships to the role. As Senior Director, Sales & Merchandising at Sony Computer Entertainment America, he was responsible for U.S. sales of console hardware, first-party software and peripherals. Cox has also held management positions at Midway Home Entertainment, Eidos Interactive and Acclaim Entertainment.