By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Riot Games says it has appointed Ashley Maidy as its new Head of Global Consumer Products.
Riot is the gaming developer and publisher known for global hit PC games such as League of Legends and VALORANT, both of which have become major vehicles for licensing deals and consumer products.
With CP becoming such a big part of the company’s business, Riot said it needed to bring in someone with specific experience around brand extensions for gaming.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ashley Maidy to our team,” said Ryan Crosby, Head of Entertainment Marketing. “Her experience and history of success in the gaming and entertainment industry makes her the ideal person to help us as we look to continue to expand experiences for players, whether that’s through Arcane and other projects within our Entertainment division or with apparel, collectibles and so much more.
“By bringing Ashley on, the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating ways for players to engage with our IP as a part of their lifestyle.”
Maidy will be responsible for overseeing the global consumer products business which includes the Direct-to-Player, Licensing, and Publishing businesses to support Games, Entertainment, Music, and Esports initiatives.
Maidy is a marketing executive with over 25 years of experience creating consumer products, promotional and brand extension programs. Most recently, Maidy was Managing Partner for Maidy Management Inc., where she advised Entertainment, Gaming, and Corporate Brands on the development of go-to-market strategies and identified brand extension opportunities outside of their core businesses.
Prior to that, Maidy spent nine years at Activision Publishing where she built and led the Licensing and Partnerships division, and 10 years at Sony Pictures Entertainment where she worked on a vast range of film and television properties.
In her career, Maidy has built and managed the infrastructure of licensing divisions from the ground up and garnered several notable awards including LIMA’s Best Overall Licensed Program of the Year, Best Character or Toy Brand of the Year, and multiple years on License! Global Magazine’s Top 150 Global Licensors list.
