Global Brands Group and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) create a joint venture, CAA-GBG Global Brand Management Group (CAA-GBG). Perry Wolfman will serve as CEO, while Jared Margolis will be President.
Endemol Shine North America names Michael Gifford SVP Business & Legal Affairs, while Ed Prince and Marjorie Williams have each been named VP Business & Legal Affairs.
Peter Hollo joins LIMA Germany as Managing Director.
Nickelodeon Intl. appoints Dan Frugtniet VP Licensing & Consumer Products Business Development.
Kids’ Chinese entertainment company UYoung Culture & Media opens a subsidiary in the U.S., UYoung Entertainment Intl., to be based in Los Angeles, California. Sander Schwartz and Elie Dekel serve as senior advisors to the company.
Hallmark Cards appooints Steven Hawn, SVP Corporate Strategy & Development, to lead a new corporate licensing function responsible for worldwide brand and content licensing efforts. John Nens, Global Brand Licensing Director, and Kelly Reichman, Global Licensing Acquisitions Director, will join Hawn at the new organization.
Following the departure of former CEO Scott Flanders, Playboy Enterprises appoints Ben Kohn Interim CEO.
Gordon Brothers Group expands its footprint with a strategic partnership with Planconsult, a leading Brazilian appraisal business. Under the leadership of Rafael Klotz, Senior Managing Director of Gordon Brothers Intl., Alfredo Finotti will serve as Executive Director and Marcos Brandt as Commercial Director of the firm’s newly established São Paulo-based operations.
PVH partners with Grupo Axo to form a joint venture in Mexico that will operate and manage the distribution of Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Warner’s, Olga and Speedo brand products. The joint venture will be created by merging PVH México, a subsidiary of PVH, with Baseco, a subsidiary of Axo.
Tim Collins establishes new consultancy The Brand Director to focus on clients embarking on their first steps into brand extension.
LMCA forms LMCA OASIS Lifestyle Asia to assist entertainment and lifestyle brands develop products and distribution strategies in China and ASEAN countries. George Williams is Managing Director for LMCA-Asia.
Hard Rock Intl. appoints Duana Klein to the role of VP Licensing.
Hasbro bolsters its board of directors with Hope Cochran, former CFO of King Digital; and Mary Beth West, EVP, Chief Customer Officer & CMO for J.C. Penney.
One Animation appoints Bettina Koeckler to the role of EVP Global Consumer Products & Licensing.
Toys ‘R’ Us appoints Lance Wills to the role of EVP & Global Chief Technology Officer.
Schleich names Karl von Bodelschwingh COO.
The Trends Intl. Group appoints Bruce Morrison President & COO.
Marcus Butler and Dom Smales found Stripped Bear Entertainment, a music management company that will discover and develop young artists and help to break their careers on social media. Bobby Havens is onboard as music manager.
HTI appoints Michelle Dalziel to the role of Licensing Manager and Linsey Sykes as Licensing & Marketing Assistant.
The Toy Industry Association has solidified its TIA Board of Directors for the next two-year term during its Annual General Meeting in Miami, Florida. David Hargreaves of Hasbro takes over as Chairman from retiring board Chairman John Gessert of American Plastic Toys. New to the executive committee are Bob Wann (Playmonster!) as Vice Chairman/Chairman Elect, Shirley Price (Funrise) as Secretary-Treasurer, Manuel Torres (NBCUniversal Brand Development) and Geoffrey Walker (Mattel). Re-elected for another term are Drew Brazer, VP Sales North America, LEGO Systems; Jeffrey Kennis, President, Enchanted Moments; and William To, President, VTech Electronics North America. New members are:
- Kathleen Campisano,VP Toys & Games, Barnes & Noble;
- Jennifer Caveza, SVP Toys & Business Development, Nickelodeon Consumer Products;
- Charlie Emby, Co-president, Just Play;
- Barbara Finigan, SVP, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate secretary, Hasbro,;
- Skip Kodak, SVP Americas, LEGO Systems;
- Masayuki Nagatake, COO U.S. & Europe, Business Div., TOMY Intl.;
- Geoffrey Walker, EVP North America, Mattel;
- Nancy Zwiers, CMO, Spin Master.
Tim Belk, CEO of Belk, will retire from his post July 5.