DIC Ent. has formed a Global Brand Management division to create a dynamic synergy among the company's key divisions -- Television, Home Ent. and Consumer Products. Nancy Fowler, head of global Sales, will oversee Brand Management, as well as continue to head the domestic and international Consumer Products, Television, Home Ent. and Marketing divisions at DIC. Fowler reports to Jeffrey Edell, president of DIC.
The Global Brand Management division will manage each of DIC's brands as a whole business by working with execs from each division in addition to third party partners, rights holders and licensees to ensure that strategic brand plans are effectively implemented with a holistic approach to content distribution. The division will play an integral role in facilitating the management of current brands, such as Strawberry Shortcake, McDonald's and Classic Trolls and the upcoming launches of new licensing and merchandising programs for HORSELAND, CAKE, MOMMY & ME and MADELINE in 2007 and SPG: Slumber Party Girls and I Was A High School Dinosaur in 2008.
Leila Pirnia will serve as vp of Brand Management and oversees the global brand managers to guide the strategic direction across all business platforms, including television, home entertainment, consumer products and new media. Previously, Pirnia was vp of Strategic Planning & Business Development at DIC. Her responsibilities included the analysis and evaluation of joint ventures, new business initiatives and corporate acquisitions for DIC. Last year, she worked on the launch of DIC's IPO in the U.K. and the acquisition of Copyright Promotions. Pirnia reports to Fowler.
Geri Robert has been named director of Brand Management and will serve as the brand manager for HORSELAND, MADELINE, DINOSAURS, MOMMY & ME and CAKE. She worked for three years in Nestle's Strategic Marketing Initiatives & Special Projects Group. Robert reports to Pirnia
Shawn Brower joins DIC as director of Brand Management to manage the Strawberry Shortcake and McDonald's brands. Brower has 14 years of experience in global brand and product management and has worked at companies, including Funrise Toy Corp., MGA Ent., Applause, Inc. and The Lyon Company/Vandor. Brower reports to Pirnia.
DIC international sales execs will now manage all three platforms -- television, home entertainment/new media and consumer products -- and report to Fowler.
Leslie Nelson becomes svp/md of EMEA. In addition to television and home entertainment sales, Nelson will now oversee DIC's consumer products business in Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Nordic and Africa and will work closely with major European licensing agent Copyright Promotions, which was acquired by DIC in 2006. Nelson joined DIC Ent. in 2002 and has more than 15 years experience in the children's business. Previously, she was md of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for BKN International.
Ryan Gagerman becomes vp/regional manager of Asia Pacific managing DIC's television, home entertainment and consumer products businesses throughout Australasia, including China, Japan, India. Gagerman, a 10-year DIC veteran, was vp of International Consumer Products and was responsible for managing worldwide publishing agents and licensees, as well as DIC's international licensing programs for brands, including Strawberry Shortcake and Trollz.
Dan Waite becomes vp/regional manager of Latin America managing DIC's television, home entertainment and consumer products business across Latin America and Spanish Language television in the U.S. Waite joined in 2000 as vp of International Television Sales for Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia.Waite, a veteran of international television sales, had been vp of programming at Gems Television.
"DIC continues to look inward for new and better ways of managing and growing our business," said Andy Heyward, chairman/ceo of DIC. "This reorganization was implemented to help us manage our business holistically from Shanghai to London to Sao Paulo. We continue to experience tremendous growth at DIC and we wanted to reinforce our global organization to manage our business strategically and expeditiously. We are gearing up for a year of record growth with several major brands heading to market, and I am thrilled to have Nancy and her team onboard to oversee these efforts as we continue to build our properties into global brand names."
"Our goal in creating the Global Brand Management division and three regional teams was to become closer to our business locally and regionally in all areas of our business," Fowler added. "We wanted the decision-making to be handled closer to the business. DIC has become a very strategic brand management company and as a result of this organization, we believe we're better able to focus our expertise on a broader-basis in all areas of our business globally."
