Festival Speakers

Eric Hirshberg
CEO
Activision

Eric Hirshberg is the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of Activision Publishing, Inc. He oversees operational management of the company's studio, product development and consumer marketing functions.

Prior to joining Activision, Eric served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of Deutsch LA, a full-service integrated marketing and advertising agency with more than $1 billion in billings. Under his leadership, Deutsch LA grew from a 10-person boutique to one of the most prominent and respected creative agencies in the country. During Eric's tenure, Deutsch was named "Agency of the Year" seven times by either Adweek or AdAge, and his work was honored by every major creative award in the industry.

Eric was named the Western States Advertising Agencies Association's Creative Leader of the Year in 2002, and again in 2006. And in 2007, he was inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Hall of Achievement.

Eric's extracurricular activities have kept him equally busy. He has released two independent CDs as a singer/songwriter, and also directed a VH-1 Top 5 music video for Bon Jovi. He worked as a member of John Kerry's debate prep team in the 2004 Presidential election and also created a widely publicized viral campaign for Presidential candidate Barack Obama.