American in the Middle Kingdom

This doesn't happen often.

Edward E. Frumkes, former Warner Bros. president of international theatrical distribution and marketing, has joined China’s Shanghai Hippo Animation Corp. as president of its international division.

It is highly unusual for wholly owned Chinese companies to install a Westerner in a top management position rather than in a customary figurehead role. Therefore the Frumkes hire is potentially transformational for Hippo as the company grows its animation business and expands into technology services for the entertainment industry and beyond.

Frumkes, who has been living in China for approximately a year, says Hippo is looking to tap his experience and skillset as the company scales up its production capacity and seeks strategic and financial partners. ...

What's of interest here is that an American movie exec is moving from live-action to animation.

Usually it's the other way around.

There are, I think, two explanations. An animation gig is what Mr. Frumkes could get, or he sees animation as the hot sector of Movieland, and so went for a job where there is growth, high profits, and a future.

Or maybe Hippo just offered Ed Frumkes a bucket of money to sign on, and so he did.