Diane Nelson was named President, DC Entertainment upon the company’s founding in September 2009. In this post, Nelson is charged with leading the company’s efforts to fully realize the power and value of DC Entertainment's brands and characters across all media and platforms, while strategically integrating the DC Entertainment business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. Entertainment and all its content and distribution businesses.
Under Nelson’s leadership, DC Entertainment works with each of the Warner Bros. divisions to tap into the tremendous expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises and prioritize DC Entertainment properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. In January 2012 Nelson and DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes. The giving campaign features the iconic Justice League super heroes, raising awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.
Nelson also oversees the franchise management of the Harry Potter property, which she has done since 2000, and continues to represent the Studio's interests with the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling.
Prior to being named President, DC Entertainment, Nelson most recently served as President, Warner Premiere since its founding in 2006 and will retain management oversight of that division.
Warner Premiere is a Studio-based production company which develops and produces high-quality, direct-to-DVD and short-form digital content, including the highly successful line of DC Universe animated DVD titles, and also pioneered the development of the motion comics category. Under Nelson, Warner Premiere functions as a full-service production entity with its own resources and release schedule, furthering the Studio's mandate of being a destination for both established and up-and-coming talent to create stand-alone properties as well as experiment in new media.
Before that, Nelson served as Executive Vice President, Global Brand Management, Warner Bros. Entertainment, with the primary responsibility of working cross-divisionally and throughout Time Warner to maximize and optimize all the various windows and outlets available to the Studio’s signature franchises, brands and event properties on a global basis. In this post, Nelson’s primary focus was the management of the Harry Potter brand, which she has overseen since the brand’s launch at the Studio in 1999. These efforts have helped drive the success of the brand to become the most successful film franchise of all time, as well as a respected consumer property that has generated billions of dollars for the Studio.
At Global Brand Management, Nelson and her team of more than 15 employees worked in all media and platforms to support a number of other key franchise properties, including “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Matrix Revolutions,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “Happy Feet,” “Polar Express” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” among others.
Prior to overseeing Global Brand Management, Nelson had served as Executive Vice President, Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. Nelson rose quickly through the ranks, having also served as Senior Vice President, Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures and prior to that, Senior Vice President, Family Entertainment, Warner Bros. Corporate Worldwide Marketing and Planning. She was also Vice President, Worldwide Corporate Promotions, a post to which she was promoted in March 1998, after joining the Studio in September 1996 as Director of Worldwide Corporate Promotions.
Nelson came to the Studio from Walt Disney Records, where she served as Director of National Promotions.
In December 2006, Nelson was appointed chairperson of The Next Generation Council of the Motion Picture & Television Fund and also serves on the board of There With Care, a Boulder-based non-profit organization that supports families with children affected by critical illness.
Nelson is a graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Communications.