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.
John Haugh resigns President & CEO of New York’s Iconix Brand Group. Executive chairman of the company’s board of directors Peter Cuneo will serve as interim CEO as Iconix begins the process of identifying a permanent replacement.
Sequential Brands Group taps Karen Castellano to serve as President Fashion to oversee a portfolio including the Jessica Simpson, William Rast, and Ellen Tracy brands.
Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) promotes Shishir Gupta to Head Content Acquisition & Licensing for its sports clusters.
Bulldog Licensing promotes Sophie Yates to Licensing Executive.
At the U.S. branch of Penguin Random House, new CEO Madeline McIntosh announces three new roles:
- Nina von Moltke is promoted to President & Director Strategic Development,
- Amanda D’Acierno to President & Publisher of the Audio Group, and
- Sanyu Dillon is now EVP & Director Marketing Strategy/Consumer Engagement.
Separately, Danielle Klimashousky, formerly Associate Marketing Manager Licensing at Scholastic, joins Random House Children’s Books as Marketing Manager Licensed & Proprietary Brands.
Gaumont promotes Terry Kalagian to SVP Creative Development and hires Kimberly Dennison in the newly created role of VP Creative Development, Animation & Family. Based in New York, the women will work to bolster the French prodco’s U.S. animation activities.
Guru Studio promotes Louise Jones to VP Finance & Business Affairs. Her appointment comes after EVP Mary Bredin leaves the prodco and Jonathan Abraham is appointed to Senior Director Sales & New Business Development.
Bristow Global Media promotes Daniel Bourré to the newly created position of Executive Producer Kids.
Mark Caplan, Principal of BD Labs, joins the Blockchain Licensing Marketplace (BMLP) advisory team to help the platform advance and expand its digital content licensing efforts. Separately, Darren Smith, formerly Director of Nintendo America, joins the company as VP Digital Platforms.
Russell Hicks (President & CCO), Jon Rosenberg (VP Publishing), and Brent Watts (Chief Strategy Officer) launch Curiosity Ink Media, an emerging family-friendly showcase offering original animation, live-action programming, reboots of iconic characters and shows, and VR content.
After taking a leave of absence in March, Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment and of Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), is leaving the studio. The DC executive management team is currently reporting to Thomas Gewecke, CDO & EVP Strategy/Business Development. Pam Lifford, President of WBCP, will now report directly to Warner Bros. Chairman & CEO Kevin Tsujihara.
Geoff Johns transitions from his post as President & CCO of DC Entertainment to full-time writing and production. Jim Lee will take on the role of CCO while Dan Didio will continue to serve as Co-Publisher with Lee.
Former Mattel U.K. veteran Dominic Geddes is named the non-executive director of HTI.
Jonathan Rose and Ruth Leonard launch a new PR and marketing communications agency, Hello Communications Group Ltd.
Cyma Zarghami steps down as president of the Nickelodeon Group after more than 30 years with the network. Viacom is searching for a successor to lead Nick, but in the interim, Sarah Levy, COO of Viacom Media Networks, will be leading the brand.
Perry Ellis Intl. is going private under a definitive merger agreement with a newly formed entity controlled by George Feldenkreis, Perry Ellis’ founder and a member of its Board of Directors. Following the transaction’s close, CEO Oscar Feldenkreis will continue to lead as CEO and his father, George, will return to an active role its management.
Pixar co-founder John Lasseter will not be returning to the studio following his leave of absence.
Guess Co-Founder Paul Marciano resigns.
Designer Kate Spade, the founder and creative mind behind Kate Spade New York and Frances Valentine, has passed away. In 2017, Coach bought Kate Spade New York for $2.4 billion.