David O’Connor is President of Franchise Management, Theatrical Brand Marketing, and Global Partnerships at Universal Pictures.  In this role, O’Connor oversees all aspects of franchise strategy, brand development and strategic alliances across all film titles and IP globally. He and his team develop and implement brand marketing campaigns that promote and elevate the brand internally and externally, leveraging the company’s full suite of assets, building strategic initiatives and guiding award-winning content and consumer experiences. His position is unique and multi-faceted as he works across the broader company, supporting Universal Filmed Entertainment as well as the larger NBCU organization.

During his 25-year tenure at the Studio, O’Connor has been a key contributor to the success of Universal’s most beloved and well-known franchises including Despicable Me, Jurassic World, and Fast and Furious, among many others. His work on Despicable Me, Jurassic World and most recently Super Mario Bros. have set records for the industry, with Minions becoming the highest grossing animated franchise worldwide, and Super Mario Bros. scoring the top global launch ever for an animated film. Today, O’Connor manages over 25+ active global franchises, including the studio’s tentpoles, homegrown brands and unique genre and filmmaker specific titles, all driving significant revenue for NBCU.

In his role, he spearheads both the short and long-term franchise strategy for these titles and many others, prioritizing and elevating activations within the company, and developing distinctive and compelling campaigns that build and grow these brands. These activations extend the canon of the original IP, offering consumers additional opportunities to experience the brand via new stories, products, theme park attractions and experiences. In tandem, he is responsible for leading and developing Universal’s “Symphony” initiative, which utilizes the deep and varied resources of the NBCU portfolio to garner additional unprecedented marketing support for the studio’s films. This program is part of O’Connor’s overarching remit, which places franchise management at the center of the studio, a first for any content company. Rounding out brand development, he also oversees the NBCU IP Council, a newly created initiative dedicated to prioritizing and expanding opportunities for the organization’s IP and content creators across various mediums. In leading this council, O’Connor is responsible for developing cross-platform activations and support for top IP while driving enterprise value back to the company.

Previously, O’Connor served as Executive Vice President, Head of Franchise Management and Brand Strategy, a role he held for five years.  He has worked across theatrical marketing, partnerships and brand development during his time at the Studio. Before joining Universal, he worked for Spelling Entertainment Group.

O’Connor earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Communications from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Born and raised in Wisconsin, he currently resides in Los Angeles.

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