Ex-Disney executive to join Nexon as senior vice president

By Baek Byung-yeul

Nick van Dyk, the new executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Nexon / Captured from Nick van Dyk's Twitter account

Nick van Dyk, a former executive at Walt Disney Company Activision Blizzard Studios, has been named as the executive vice president and chief strategy officer (CSO) of Korean game developer Nexon.

Nexon said van Dyk, based on his previous positions, will be responsible for global strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporate development, franchise management and partnerships.

He will also serve as president of Nexon Film and Television, a newly-created division of the company, which will focus on creating video content utilizing Nexon's intellectual properties.

Nexon is famous for online games such as “Dungeon Fighter,” “The Kingdom of the Winds,” “MapleStory” and “KartRide.”

“Nexon is a unique global entertainment company with a rare and proven expertise in sustaining blockbuster properties at massive scale that routinely outperform others in the industry,” Nick van Dyk said.

He served as president of the film and TV division of Activision Blizzard Studios from 2014 to 2019. He then served ten years at the Walt Disney Company as senior vice president of Corporate Strategy and Business Development, playing a key role in Disney's acquisition of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm.

Nexon expects the new CSO will help make the company more competitive in the entertainment business.

“At Walt Disney, Nick was a leader in building what is arguably the most successful IP strategy in entertainment history. He created a film and television business for Activision and understands how cross-platform strategies can drive subscribers and engagement for the original property,” Nexon CEO Owen Mahoney said. “At Nexon, Nick will oversee global strategy on partnerships and corporate development that extends our core business in Virtual Worlds.”