Hasbro announced Thursday the election of Michael Burns as an independent director to its Board of Directors. Burns is currently Vice Chairman of Lionsgate. His appointment is effective immediately.

Prior to joining Lionsgate, Mr. Burns served for nine years as managing director and head of Prudential Securities’ Los Angeles investment banking office and specialized in raising equity within the media and entertainment industry.

Before joining Prudential, he spent nine years at Shearson / American Express (now Morgan Stanley) in New York and Los Angeles.

Mr. Burns graduated with a B.S. from Arizona State University and received his M.B.A. from the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles where he serves on the distinguished Board of Visitors.

Mr. Burns also has been a member of the Board of Directors of Lionsgate since 1999.

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company targeting children and families through the creative expression of the company’s brand portfolio, including Transformers, Monopoly, Play-Doh, My Little Pony, Magic: The Gathering, Nerf And Littlest Pet Shop.