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.
Centa IP hires Gail Mitchell as CEO and Val Fry as VP Licensing. Mitchell is based in Australia; she formerly worked at Hasbro and The Fusion Agency. Fry will be based in London and oversee Centa’s IP in the U.K. and EMEA.
Global stationery and lifestyle brand, Rifle Paper Co., appoints Trish Whalen in the newly created role of Brand President role. She was most recently VP Business & Brand Development at Draper James, the retail brand founded by Reese Witherspoon, and had spent 10 years at Kate Spade.
Max Arguile, formerly of GB Eye, launches new specialist licensing consultancy Reemsborko Ltd. The company will fill gaps in the market for emerging areas scubas anime, video and mobile gaming, and specialized art and design brands.
The Royal Horticulture Society (RHS) appoints Liz Judson as Licensing Assistant. She will help the charity in its work with both its 60 existing and more potential licensees across an expanding list of categories.
Vicki Marler-Hausen launches her own new toy industry marketing agency, Elmer Marketing, that will offer services to toy companies as they launch products, plan trade shows, and construct media campaigns.
Gaming Arts names Jean Venneman its new CCO to lead sales, marketing, and product management.
Suzanne Nossel is promoted to CEO at PEN America following its merger with sister organization PEN Center USA.
Posh Paws Intl. welcomes Alan Smith to the role of managing director.
IDW Publishing names John Barber Editor-in-Chief and hires Anita Frazier as SVP Sales & Marketing.
Bandai UK bolsters its sales team, appoitning John Carlaw as National Account Manager and Joanne Airey as Key Account Manager.
Franco Penè is retiring from Onward Luxury Group (OLG), the European subsidiary of the eponymous Japanese group, after for 24 years. Penè will be succeeded by Takehiro Shiraishi, who will take charge of OLG’s three divisions: the Jil Sander brand, led by Alessandra Bettari; the footwear division, headed by Fabio Duci; and the apparel division, piloted by Carlo Taddei.
Doug Howe is named Chief Merchandising Officer at Kohl’s.
Fred’s Inc. CEO Michael Bloom exited the company after failing to fulfill its expectations within two years. Upon Bloom’s resignation, current CFO & Secretary Joseph Anto is named interim CEO. Bloom also left Fred’s Inc.’s board of directors.
Rebrands
Bioworld Europe is now Difuzed—the newly dubbed company has moved its headquarters just outside Amsterdam, bringing with it a new senior team and approach.
The Fred Rogers Company rebrands itself as Fred Rogers Productions in a change designed to better reflect the company’s expanding catalog of programs which now includes Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, and Odd Squad. Along with the new name is a refreshed logo featuring an image of Daniel Tiger. The rebrand was done in partnership with The Possibility Shop and SJI Associates.
The Boy Scouts of America is becoming Scouts BSA in Feb. 2019 to better reflect its inclusion of girls in its Scouts program. The organization’s Cub Scouts program for younger children was the first to open up to girls, while other programs for older youth, such as Venturing, were already open to girls. By next year, older girls will be able to join Scouts BSA and try to become Eagle Scouts, a path previously unavailable to them. Meanwhile, the Girl Scouts of the USA is promoting its partnerships with organizations like Raytheon (computer science programs) and The North Face (outdoor adventure activities).