Warner Bros Pictures has named two executives to replace Ed Frumkes as heads of its international distribution and marketing division. Sue Kroll has been named president, international marketing, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek president, international distribution, reporting to Alan Horn, president & COO of the studio through Richard Fox, executive vice president, international.

Kroll's responsibilities include oversight of the creation and execution of marketing, advertising, media planning, promotion, publicity and research for the studio. She is also charged with the day-to-day execution of marketing campaigns in all international territories.

Kwan-Rubinek will oversee distribution and film release functions, including dating strategy, competitive positioning and tracking of box office grosses and film rentals for the movies in the 124 international territories through the company's 59 affiliate operations.

"When we decided to realign the Warner Bros. Pictures International operations to be consistent with those of our Domestic theatrical division, Veronika and Sue stood out as absolutely the best choices to take the lead in their specific areas and continue the terrific jobs they have been doing," said Horn in a statement.

Kroll has been senior vice president, marketing, for Warner Bros Pictures International Distribution since Jan 1997, having joined the studio in 1994 as senior vice president, programming & operations, Warner Bros International Channels. Before Warner Bros, Kroll spent four years at Turner Network Television (TNT).

Kwan-Rubinek has been senior vice president, international distribution, since 1997 overseeing sales and distribution matters. She started in entertainment in the international marketing department at Lorimar Film Entertainment before joining Warner Bros Pictures International as a sales analyst. She has moved up through the ranks serving as senior sales analyst, manager, international sales and director, international operations. She was promoted to vice president, international distribution, in 1995.

The appointments complete a series of changes in the international distribution departments at Hollywood studios over the last year.

  • Scott Neeson replaced Jim Gianopulos as president of 20th Century Fox International Theatrical.
  • Nadia Bronson was promoted to president, international theatrical marketing, distribution and operations at Universal Pictures.
  • Duncan Clark left his post as president of Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International and was not replaced; Jeff Blake took over responsibility for international in his job as president of worldwide distribution, with Nigel Clark promoted to executive vice president, international marketing.

    • ' Lionel Wigram, a well-known Briton in the Los Angeles creative community, has been promoted to senior vice president, production, at Warner Bros Pictures, reporting directly to Lorenzo di Bonaventura, president of worldwide production at the studio. Wigram joined Warner as vice president in Feb 1996 after serving as executive vice president of Geena Davis and Renny Harlin's The Forge and as president of Alive Films. He is currently overseeing the first feature film from JK Rowling's Harry Potter series and Cate Blanchett-starrer Charlotte Gray.