

Al Verrecchia, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Hasbro, Inducted Into Toy Industry Hall of Fame
PAWTUCKET, R.I.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Alfred J. Verrecchia, Chairman of the Board of Directors, [ Hasbro, Inc., ] (NASDAQ: HAS) has been selected as a 2011 Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductee. Inductees are nominated by the industry at large and selected by Toy Industry Association members and Hall of Fame inductees. The induction ceremony will take place during the 11th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards on Saturday, February 12, 2011, marking the start of the 108th American International Toy Fair.
"outstanding contributions to the toy industry, an unimpeachable record of integrity and respect in the industry, and a prominent role in promoting the publica™s awareness and appreciation of the importance of toys in the lives of children."
aThe incredible career-long track record of success and leadership exhibited by Al Verrecchia on both an industry level, and at Hasbro, make him a natural choice for induction into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame,a said Brian Goldner, Hasbroa™s President and CEO.
In 1965, Verrecchia began his career in the toy industry as a staff accountant at Hasbro, working his way up to CEO in 2003. During his tenure as CEO, Verrecchia was one of the prime architects in building and executing a strategy focused on aggressively leveraging the Companya™s unmatched portfolio of brands in a wide range of categories beyond traditional toys and games. Prior to his tenure as CEO, Verrecchia held a range of senior executive positions at Hasbro, including Chief Financial Officer and President, Hasbro Manufacturing Services, among others. He assumed the position of Chairman in 2008.
In addition to his positions at Hasbro, Verrecchia has also held several leadership roles in the toy industry. He served as Vice Chairman of the Toy Industry Associationa™s (TIA) Board of Directors beginning in 2006 and then took on additional responsibilities as Chairman in 2008 and 2009. In addition, Verrecchia was Chair of both the finance committee and the budget committee, and served on the investment committee and the audit committee. He is also a co-founding member of the International Council of Toy Industriesa™ CEO Roundtable.
aAl Verrecchia has helped to revolutionize the toy industry over the past 45 years and the TIA is honored to welcome him to the Toy Industry Hall of Fame,a said Carter Keithley, TIA president.
Criteria for consideration for the Hall of Fame include aoutstanding contributions to the toy industry, an unimpeachable record of integrity and respect in the industry, and a prominent role in promoting the publica™s awareness and appreciation of the importance of toys in the lives of children.a Verrecchia joins an impressive group of just 55 individuals in the Toy Industry Hall of Fame including Merrill, Stephen and Alan Hassenfeld; George Lucas, creator of the classic Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies; Sam Walton, founder of Walmart; Academy Award winning director John Lasseter; and Reuben Klamer, inventor of the Game of Life. Donald Duncan, Founder of Duncan Toys Company, is this yeara™s posthumous inductee.
Verrecchia will accept his award in person this Saturday at the TOTY Awards, which will be held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
About Hasbro
[ Hasbro, Inc. ] (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Companya™s world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. The Hub, Hasbroa™s multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010.The online home of The Hub is[ www.hubworld.com ]. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.
Come see how we inspire play through our brands at [ http://www.hasbro.com ]. © 2011 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About TIA
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing over 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe play.
For more information, visit [ www.toyassociation.org ], [ www.ToyAwards.org ], or the [ Toy Industry Hall of Fame ] website.
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