Category: You’re Hired

Candy powerhouse Perfetti Van Melle announces the appointment of Marta Ballesteros as Global Licensing Manager, effective as of May 1st. Marta brings a wealth of knowledge, strong international sales experience of over 22 years in licensing and solid management skills that will be a tremendous asset to lead the unstoppable growth of Perfetti’s global licensing program with its brands Mentos, Chupa Chups, Airheads, Frisk, Brooklyn, Smint, Fruit-tella, Alpenliebe and Big Babol.

Hunt A Killer, the immersive entertainment company and creators of narrative-driven adult board games, is expanding its retail offerings with the release of two new all-in-one murder mystery games, R.I.P. At The Rodeo and Homicide At The Heist. Additionally, Kirsten Koe, a retail and marketing veteran with over twenty years of experience, has joined Hunt A Killer as the new Vice President of Marketing and is leading this expansion.

Hasbro has announced two senior appointments to the company’s executive leadership team. Tim Kilpin will join as president, Toy, Licensing & Entertainment, effective from April 24th, and Gina Goetter will join as chief financial officer from May 18th, following the company’s Annual Meeting of shareholders. CEO Chris Cocks commented: “We are excited to welcome Tim and Gina to Hasbro. I am confident that their skills and qualifications will complement Hasbro’s existing leadership team as we execute against our Blueprint 2.0 strategy, which is focused on bringing our brands to life for consumers of all ages, maximizing the value of our IP and creating long-term shareholder value.”

Lisa Marks Associates (LMA), a leading licensing and branding agency, is pleased to announce the expansion of their management team with the addition of Maureen Taxter as Senior Vice President of Licensing and Donna Moore as Director of Product Development.

Zigazoo, the world’s largest social network for “Gen Zalpha” and whose portfolio includes the Zigazoo app for Gen Z users and Zigazoo Kids for Gen Alpha, is pleased to announce Ashley Mady’s new role as President of Zigazoo Kids. Previously Mady was President of Consumer Products. In the newly created role, Mady will work in partnership with departments across the organization to meet all revenue goals, business objectives, user growth plans and engagement targets, and is ultimately responsible for the success of the Zigazoo Kids platform. Zigazoo Kids has consistently been a top 10 app for 9-11 year olds for iOS. The platform, which has more than three million installs, has seen 100% growth since 2023.

In response to accelerated global growth over the past two years at ZAG for the company’s flagship brand Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and Ghostforce, which has been earning top ratings across Europe, ZAG has appointed respected industry executive Mark Kingston to the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Products. The announcement was made by Jeremy Zag, ZAG’s Founder and CEO.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street and over five decades of other award-winning content and programs that support children and families around the world, announced that Gaby Sulzberger was elected the new Chair of the Board of Trustees, effective November 2023. Sulzberger has been on Sesame Workshop’s Board of Trustees since 2019. She succeeds the current Board Chair, Frans Hijkoop, who joined the Board in 2013. Sulzberger will be the first African American woman to Chair the Sesame Workshop Board.

Toy industry veteran, Erik Quam has joined Smart Toys and Games Inc, as the company’s VP of New Product and Business Development. Quam joins the US-based team and will also work closely with world headquarters based in Belgium. Quam is no stranger to the toy industry. His career spans more than twenty-five years, and he has played an instrumental role in the launch of several successful brands in the specialty toy arena. He is a well-known advocate for the inventor community and has worked closely with established inventors while also giving voice to young designers and inventors as a respected inventor relations executive.

Leading international toy and game company PlayMonster Group LLC announced the growth of its sales division as it welcomes Melanie Bailey, National Account Manager, and Dave Trentman, Sales Manager Value Channel. The two toy and game veterans will lead PlayMonster’s specialty business and value channels, respectively. “Melanie and Dave are sales powerhouses who will be key in propelling PlayMonster’s trajectory in two strategic channels, as the retail landscape continues to evolve,” said Steve Adolph, PlayMonster CEO. “They are industry pros who have a proven track record in building long-standing relationships while delivering product and innovation to their partners. We’re thrilled to welcome them both during this pivotal time for PlayMonster.”