Within only 10 years of its existence, Blockbuster became a household name across the globe, creating a new industry that captured Americans' leisure time, attention and their pocketbooks. Prior to joining Blockbuster in 1996, Peterson was the chief operating officer for Southeast Frozen Foods in Miami. As the top renter of videos and video games in the United States, we have many opportunities for individuals interested in retail store management. The entry-level position of store manager allows qualified employees opportunities for growth to district manager, regional director of operations, zone staff and corporate and international staff. Blockbuster values diversity and wants a workforce that is representative of the company's diverse customer base.
Diversity is an important goal of the company.
We also have a strong human resources program for recruiting, hiring, promoting and developing diverse employees within the organization. In the fall of each year, we ask each department head in the corporate office to determine if they will sponsor an undergraduate or graduate intern in their area for the following summer. This year we are anticipating approximately 12 interns in corporate in such areas as human resources, legal, marketing, information technology, finance, distribution and corporate communications. We are not yet sure where we will post our one finance MBA internship opportunity, but more than likely that will be local also. The field organization is also working to add a Zone Operations Management Intern to each of our seven zones, but that has not been finalized for the summer of 1999.