Universal Pictures top brass have promoted three senior veterans aspart of an operational restructure.

Rick Finkelsteinbecomes vice chairman of Universal Pictures and executive vice president ofUniversal Studios; Jimmy Horowitz has been named co-president of production andexecutive vice president of Universal Pictures; and Michael Joe has beenpromoted to executive vice president of Universal Pictures.

All three have signednew long-term contracts with the studio and will continue to be based at theUniversal City headquarters in Burbank.

Finkelstein will jointhe office of the chairmen and oversee special projects for president and chiefoperating officer Ron Meyer. He will continue to direct the revenue activitiesof Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures International HomeVideo and NBC Universal International Television Distribution, and joins Meyerin representing Universal as a member of the board of directors of the MPAA.

Universal StudiosHome Entertainment president Craig Kornblau and Universal PicturesInternational Home Video president Peter Smith will continue to report toFinkelstein. NBC Universal International Television Distributionpresident Belinda Menendez will continue to report jointly to Finkelstein andNBC Universal Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution president DavidZaslav.

Horowitz will nowoversee all non-creative aspects of production from inception to delivery.Donna Langley and Jon Gordon will continue to oversee all development andcreative aspects of production in their positions as presidents of production.

Horowitz will reportjointly to chairman Marc Shmuger and co-chairman David Linde and assumesresponsibility for physical production and post-production and will continue tooversee Universal's business and legal affairs, including talent negotiations,co-productions and third party distribution arrangements. He will alsoassume overall responsibility for Universal's original and adapted theatricalstage production business around the world.

Joe will serve as thecompany's chief strategy officer, which encompasses business development,windows strategy and digital initiatives including wireless, interactive gamesand digital cinema, and expansion into new markets and technologies.

He will work closelyon Universal's digital initiatives with NBC Universal Digital Media and MarketDevelopment president Beth Comstock, represent the studio on anti-piracy,public policy and MPAA matters, and will continue to manage Universal'sadvanced technology group, which he has overseen since January 2005. Hewill report jointly to Shmuger and Linde.

Prior to theannouncements, Finkelstein served as president and chief operating officer ofUniversal Pictures; Horowitz served as executive vice president of business andlegal affairs at Universal Pictures; and Joe as executive vice president,business development and strategic planning.