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1/14/2019
Margie Cohn, currently President of DreamWorks Animation Television, takes on the additional role of President of DreamWorks Animation. Cohn now oversees the two separate film and TV operations. DreamWorks Feature Animation Group President Chris deFaria will leave the company in Feb. and continue to consult with Comcast NBCUniversal on a number of special initiatives.
SYBO Games hires David Byrne as COO and promotes Naz Amarchi-Cuevas to CCO.
eOne’s Chinese Family & Brands arm welcomes Pengchong Xu as VP Licensing, Frida Zhang as VP Marketing, and Iwen Lee as Product Development Manager to its new Shanghai office.
Perry Ellis Intl. (PEI) appoints Jason Zuckerman as President of the company’s namesake Perry Ellis division.
Marvel Comics blooms with four promotions: Rickey Purdin is now Director Talent Relations; Jordan D. White is Senior Editor, leading editorial for all X-Men titles; Darren Shan is Editor, overseeing cosmic and various mutant titles; and Mark Basso is Editor, overseeing Conan titles, League of Legends titles, and others.
DSW announces a slew of promotions effective Feb. 3rd: Bill Jordan is now President of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, Mary Turner is now President of the Shoe Company and Shoe Warehouse banners in Canada, Debbie Ferrée is now Vice Chair & President of DSW, and Jim Weinberg is now Chief Merchandising Officer.
USA Track & Field names Sarah Hollis as Chief Revenue Officer & CMO, E. Susan Hazzard as Managing Director Communications, Lori Bird as Associate Director Outreach & Grass Roots Programs, Kimberly Sims as Associate Director Intl. Teams, Ashley Mitchell as Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications; and Chelsey Schmenk as Senior Manager Branding.
Target promotes Stephanie Lundquist to a new post overseeing its food and beverage operations. Separately, CFO Cathy Smith will retire as soon as a successor is secured.
Warner Bros. Entertainment elevates Jay Levine to the newly created post of EVP Television Business Strategy & Digital Services.
Facebook promotes Dan Reed to VP Global Sports & Media Partnerships, names Peter Hutton as Director Global Sports Partnerships & Programming, and hires Brandon Gayle as Director Global Sports Partnerships & Solutions.
Penguin Random House adds two new hires to its Ladybird Licensing team: Lou Grosart is now Editorial Director, responsible for Peppa Pig publishing and new licensing opportunities for 0-7 year-olds, and Ned Hartley is Commissioning Editor, looking after the division’s Nickelodeon publishing.
Bernhardt Furniture promotes Dawn Pearson to VP Merchandising for residential upholstery.
Jean-André Rougeot is the new CEO of Sephora Americas effective Feb. 4th.
Leila Ouledcheikh joins London-based distribution company Serious Lunch as Director Global Sales where she will work alongside Co-founder & CEO Genevieve Dexter.
Darwin Bromley, the founder of Mayfair Games, has passed away.
LIMA recognizes Beanstalk’s Michael Stone and Warner Bros.’ Pam Lifford as the 2019 inductees to the LIMA Licensing Hall of Fame. This year’s induction ceremony will take place on June 4th at Licensing Expo Las Vegas.
1/7/2019
Sarah Cummins is WWE’s new SVP Consumer Products. Cummins will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of WWE’s $1 billion global consumer products business and reports directly to CMO & Chief Communications Officer Brian Flinn.
The Walt Disney Co. reorganizes its direct-to-consumer & international (DTCI) group ahead of the 21st Century Fox acquisition closing. Rebecca Campbell adds Russia and CIS to her current remit as President EMEA. Diego Lerner continues on as President LATAM, with Carlos Martinez joining his team as EVP & GM Media Networks North LATAM/Brazil. Uday Shankar is now the new chairman of Star and Disney India and President APAC. Reporting to Shankar are Luke Kang, EVP/MD Greater China, Japan & Korea; Kylie Watson-Wheeler, MD ANZ; and Chafic Najia, SVP & MD Middle East. Additionally, Janice Marinelli is now President Global Content Sales & Distribution.
Former DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products President Diane Nelson is back as the Head Operations for shortform video venture Quibi. She joins Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman on the startup, which specializes in mobile video content. Quibi launches late 2018 and has signed deals with heavy hitters like Guillermo del Toro, Antoine Fuqua, and Jason Blum to produce content.
CPLG promotes John Taylor to Managing Director U.K. and Slawomir Ekiert to Managing Director Central Eastern Europe. Both report to new EVP & Managing Director Maarteen Weck.
Effective Jan. 22, 2019, G. Scott Uzzell will become President & CEO of Converse at Nike. Uzzell most recently served as President Venturing & Emerging Brands Group at The Coca-Cola Co.
Boat Rocker Media consolidates its content, distribution and brands teams under Jon Rutherford, newly promoted as Managing Director of its Boat Rocker Studios banner. He reports jointly to CRO Michel Pratte and Co-Executive Chairmen/Co-CCOs David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg. Boat Rocker recently closed the acquisition of U.S.-based Matador Content and earlier this year acquired Fremantle’s Kids & Family division as well as a majority stake in Insight Productions.
The Point.1888 bolsters its retail and finance teams with the addition of senior executive Gabbi Langdorf as Senior Brand Manager and Anita Mir as Head Finance & Legal as well as the promotion of Hannah Stevens to Senior Retail & Brand Manager and George Birtchnell to Head Business Development. Stevens will head up the soft lines division with Ed Butler and Olivia Wiggett in addition to the retail team. Stevens and Langdorf report to Retail & Brand Director Bethan Garton.
The former senior management team of Toy State launches a new venture with the creation of Nikko Toys: Philip Redmond is CEO, John Arndt is SVP Product Development, Stephen Skoutas is SVP Global Sales, and Laibond Cheng is President.
Campbell Soup names Mark Clouse, the former head of Pinnacle Foods, as its new CEO.
Acamar Films hires Jodie Morris as Executive Director Content, Alister Morgan as Director Strategy, and Kirsty Southgate as Director Promotions & Partnerships.
Amber Howard joins Abrams Artists as an agent in its alternative programming, digital media, licensing, and branding department.
Designer Tory Burch names her new husband and former LVMH executive Pierre-Yves Roussel as her brand’s CEO, and changes her own title to Executive Chairman & CCO.
Samantha Swank rejoins the Scholastic licensed publishing team as editor for licensing, media, and brands after working on Scholastic’s Cartwheel imprint.
Ian Richards joins PlayFusion in a newly-created Global Manager position, where he will oversee the development of global Organized Play programs.
Goliath appoints Nick Thomas as GM for Vivid U.K. Thomas is supported by Divisional Sales Directors Gerbie Quilter and Steve Alexander along with Emma Weber, Leon Jarmolowicz, and Darrell Jones, who are responsible for marketing.
Valiant hires Zane Warman as Domestic Licensing Coordinator; he will work with Intl. Licensing Coordinator Oliver Taylor.
The GAMA Board of Directors appoints John Stacy as its new Executive Director.
Columbia Sportswear hires Peter Ruppe as VP Footwear in an effort to double its footwear sales within three years.
Australian prodco Grace: A Storytelling Company brings in Alaric McAusland to oversee global business operations, partnerships, and production/development across television, film, and live entertainment as its new COO & Head Studio/Production.
Less than two years after Raf Simons debuted his first collection for Calvin Klein as the American multi-tiered, multi-billion-dollar brand’s first chief creative officer, the designer is out.
Pier 1 Imports CEO Alasdair James resigns and the company names board member and former Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen CEO Cheryl Bachelder as interim CEO. The moves come as the home goods retailer is exploring strategic options that could include a sale.
USA Cycling plans to hire Rob DeMartini, who is stepping down as New Balance’s President & CEO at the close of 2018, as its new CEO. He replaces outgoing CEO Derek Bouchard-Hall.