The Board of Directors of the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) has unanimously selected Mark Fisher (pictured) to be the President and Chief Executive Officer of the trade association, effective immediately. Fisher had been Interim President of EMA since the retirement of Bo Andersen in November of last year.
“The members of the EMA’s Board of Directors have been impressed with Mark’s dedication and passion throughout his tenure at EMA, and his leadership of the organization as Interim President the past five months,” noted Bob Geistman, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Ingram Entertainment and Chairman of the Board of EMA. “Mark demonstrated he was the best person for the job by growing the membership, developing a new strategic direction for the Association, and fostering a fresh sense of energy among the staff.”
Fisher has nearly 30 years of retailing experience at store, field, and corporate levels, and 13 years on the executive staff of EMA. He joined the trade association (then known as the Video Software Dealers Association) as Vice President of Membership in 1999 and was named Executive Vice President in 2009. At EMA, Fisher was responsible for expanding the scope of EMA’s membership from primarily rental stores to a broad representation of the sellers and renters of home video and video games in all formats and delivery methods and establishing EMA as a leader on supply chain issues for both physical and digital versions of home entertainment products, as well as providing strategic planning and direction for the association.
“Having been part of the home video industry since shortly after its birth and having participated in the many transitions and transformations that the industry has experienced, I am honoured to have been chosen to lead the home entertainment industry’s trade association,” Fisher said. “I look forward to continuing to work with the members and staff of EMA to ensure that it remains the vehicle for advancing the common interests of video and video game retailers in both the physical and digital ecosystems.”
