It was the idea of being an entrepreneur in an emerging industry that first lured Craig Kornblau to the fledgling home video business in 1985. Two decades later, he’s playing that same role in an ever-changing industry as the head of Universal Studios Home Entertainment
In 1999, Kornblau was named president of USHE, where he has become known for his ability to turn DVD releases into events, taking the direct-to-DVD business to a new level and moving the studio into the high definition and digital download arena. This September, USHE made The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift the first major studio title available on a download-and-burn basis on the same day as its DVD release, which also was the same day as its HD DVD release.
“Craig is a pioneering executive who, over the past two decades, has helped shape the home entertainment business into the $25 billion industry it is today,” says Ron Meyer, Universal Studios president and chief operating officer. “He has effectively served as chief architect in the creation of numerous groundbreaking systems and strategies, particularly in the areas of distribution and marketing, which have since become standard operating procedure in the industry.”