Are you hiring—or being promoted, changing jobs, retiring, launching a new company, or otherwise changing your employment? Email Jen at jen@plainlanguagemedia.com and we’ll announce the news in our next issue of Who’s News.
ZAG appoints Marlin Prager as COO & CFO, David Ribardo as Chief Accounting Officer, and Cindy Elfenbein as VP Retail Business Development. Elfenbein reports to Andre’ Lake Mayer, President Brand Strategy & Consumer Products, and serves alongside Andrea Green, VP Global Licensing; Jess Bansal, Director Product Development; and Stacy Walker, Director of Legal Affairs.
Lawless Entertainment and Global Management Partners form a strategic alliance to provide their clients with a complete bundle of services to include all aspects of licensing and merchandising as well as retail partnerships.
Hudson’s Bay Co. promotes Milton Pappas to CMO.
Scholastic welcomes Victoria Burwell as SVP Strategic Marketing, Carol Chanter as SVP Professional Learning Services, and Janelle Cherrington as SVP & Publisher. The trio will work to develop core literacy curriculums for pre-K to sixth grade, expand the division’s services business with a focus on professional development and family engagement, and increase sales and marketing capacity.
JCPenney’s chief merchant John Tighe leaves the company. The position is eliminated; with current SVP & General Merchandise Manager (GMM), Tony Hurst, adding oversight of custom window design, home services, and commercial sales to his responsibilities. He now reports to Joe McFarland, EVP Stores. Chairman & CEO Marvin Ellison becomes the direct report for Jodie Johnson, SVP & Senior GMM of women’s apparel, Sephora, salon, women’s specialty, footwear and handbags; James Starke, SVP & Senior GMM of men’s apparel, children’s apparel and jewelry; and Val Harris, SVP Product Development & Design.
Mattel’s Chief Content Officer, Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, departs. President & COO Richard Dickson will assume her responsibilities; the toyco has no plans to immediately fill her position.
Balsam-Schwaber heads to NBCUniversal to serve as GM of its online crafts education platform Craftsy.
DC Comics signs award-winning writer Brian Michael Bendis in a multi-year, exclusive deal. He leaves his current remit at Marvel Entertainment.
DHX Television appoints Gary Finnegan as VP Programming Strategy.
Warner Bros. Animations names Audrey Diehl as its new VP Series.
Tian Lim, formerly Hulu’s CTO, joins Google to serve as VP Google Play. Hulu’s SVP Engineering, Barry Steinglass, will serve as the company’s interim CTO.