People in new jobs

October 1, 2006 by Kidscreen Staff

ABC Enterprises (Sydney, Australia, 61-028-333-1500): The commercial arm of the Australian pubcaster has appointed Karen Dacy manager program sales; she assumes the position recently resigned by Michael Badorrek. In her new role she will oversee the management of the program sales business including current affair sales, international distribution of the Film Australia and Opera Australia program catalogues as well as the extensive ABC Enterprises program catalogue.

Amity Entertainment (Nashville, Tennessee, 615-370-2510): Jason Elsky has been promoted from director of marketing to VP of marketing. In his new role, he’ll be responsible for approving and overseeing all marketing, advertising, and public relations plans implemented by the company. Elsky will also oversee the department of station relations and coordinate marketing activities in the U.S. and Canada for flagship show The Big Comfy Couch.

Emily Jones has also just been hired as manager of station relations to help manage relationships with public television stations that air The Big Comfy Couch and other Amity properties.

Blueprint Entertainment (Toronto, Canada, 416-531-8585): Brenda Greenburg is the new VP of creative affairs, based in the company’s Toronto offices. She will oversee production of The Best Years, a new hour-long series produced for The N and Global about first-year students at a fictional Boston university starting this fall. Greenburg has worked as executive producer, producer and story editor on several series in her 25-year career, including As the World Turns, Street Legal, Side Effects and North/South.

Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment (Burbank, California, 818-295-4841): As part of its global reorganization, Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment-the result of integrating Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment International-has appointed a new executive team. President Bob Chapek will lead the division along with Pat Fitzgerald, executive VP of worldwide sales, distribution and trade marketing. Fitzgerald also leads the division’s efforts towards developing technology in support of new models of digital content distribution, including next-gen formats.

Gordon Ho, executive VP of worldwide marketing, creative content and business development, will oversee all marketing and product management functions for the division including brand marketing, promotions, public relations and on-line marketing for the company’s home entertainment product. As well, he’ll helm acquisitions, product, new technology, brand/franchise and business development.

Lori MacPherson, previously senior VP of brand marketing and product management, is now general manager of North American operations and will work on sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products for the continent. Daniel Solnicki steps into the role of general manager for Asia Pacific & Latin America where he’ll manage all self-distributed and licensed markets in each region. Similarly, Julie Sneddon becomes general manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Cartoon Network (Atlanta, Georgia, 404-885-2263): Cartoon Network has hired Peter Dougherty in the newly created position of senior VP of branding. Dougherty will be responsible for the creative execution and communication of the Cartoon Network brand and its multiple properties to target audiences in the U.S. His new remit includes the network’s on-air environment and franchise presentations; in-house creative services responsible for print, electronic and outdoor advertising; execution of sponsored promotions; and creative development for Cartoon Network Enterprises’ licensing business. He comes to the company after an 11-year tenure at MTV Europe.

Cosgrove Hall Films (Manchester, England, 44-161-882-2500): Wes Wood is taking on the role of development producer. After studying animation and illustration at Manchester Metropolitan University, the 26-year-old has worked in the production side of animation both freelance and more recently for puppetmakers MacKinnon & Saunders. The company is looking for co-pros and opps to own IP and expects Wood will help it move forward in the national and international markets.

Disney Channel and Jetix (Burbank, California, 818-569-7500): David Levine has been promoted to VP of worldwide programming strategy and windowing. Levine will oversee all aspects of the worldwide programming strategy group, including facilitating communication between Disney and Jetix Channels to co-ordinate and roll out programming strategies on a global basis. Since joining Disney in March 2004, he has served as executive director, programming strategy, Toon Disney and Jetix. Prior to his position at Disney, Levine was VP, business affairs and development for Ragdoll USA.

Entara (London, England, 44-207-580-3009): Regis Brown has hopped over from Taffy Entertainment to head up Entara’s new in-house distribution division and lead the company’s strategic growth in worldwide distribution, co-production and acquisitions. He will focus on building and managing Entara’s proprietary film and TV animation entertainment business. Prior to his tenure at Taffy, he spent six years with Film Roman.

Entertainment Rights (London, England, 44-208-762-6200): Olivia King Canter has been appointed director of sales for Latin America and Canada. Canter will be responsible for driving ER’s business in these key territories and will work from the company’s New York office. Prior to joining ER, she was director of the Havana Music Company, senior VP of international television at WarnerVision and VP of international programming sales at MTV Networks.

Exodus Film Group (Venice, California, 310-392-7778): Delbert A. Whetter has been promoted to CEO from his former post as senior VP of business affairs, in which he was responsible for drafting, negotiating, and implementing numerous film and television property transactions, film financing arrangements, and IP licenses. In addition to directing the operating activities of Exodus, he will continue to oversee all aspects of business affairs.

FremantleMedia (London, England, 44-207-691-6000): Olivier Gers is now general manager of licensing worldwide. Based in New York, Gers will oversee the exploitation of the company’s brands off screen and around the world including brand licensing, music publishing, on-line and interactive, sponsorship, live events and wireless. Gers will also work with CEO David Ellender to develop and implement the company’s ancillary rights strategic direction within the newly created FremantleMedia Enterprises Group.

Navarre Corporation (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 763-535-8333): In a move the company expects to be a major growth opportunity, Navarre has brought in Marvin Gleicher to be VP of DVD content acquisition. He will be responsible for acquiring and marketing DVD entertainment content for the company’s distribution arm. Gleicher says his immediate goals include looking for a wide range of content that Navarre can sell and distribute in the sell-through and digital distribution arenas. He adds that kids content from several different countries – animation in particular – will make up a large part of the acquisitions. Prior to joining Navarre, Gleicher founded the North America division of Manga Entertainment, which specialized in marketing Japanese animation and continued to serve as president after it was bought by IDT Entertainment in 2004.

NBDtv (London, England, 44-207-243-3646): NBDtv, an international television distribution company, has several new hires to manage its enlarged programming portfolio following last year’s acquisition by DCD Media. Danielle Davies, formerly sales manager at 3DD, heads the newly created Southern and Eastern hemisphere sales department, where she will focus on sales in the Middle East, Far East, Latin America, Canada, and Australasia. Rick Barker, formerly head of television sales at Digital Classics Distribution, will take on head of sales, Continental Europe. Reporting to Barker as sales executive is Lauren Marriott, who previously spent two years at Zone Vision’s distribution arm selling to Eastern Europe. Katie Young, previously a producer for Eardrum takes on the role of technical manager.

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (New York, NY, 212-258-6000): Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products has upped Robert Traub to senior VP, retail development. In his new expanded role, Traub has been charged with building NVCP’s international retail relationships and maximizing worldwide product presence for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTVN International and Spike TV licensed properties. He will also continue to manage his retail staff in New York with recently opened satellite offices in Bentonville, Arkansas and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Sesame Workshop (New York, New York, 212-595-3456): Sesame Workshop has promoted Celia Schneiderman to manager, international television distribution. As such, her responsibilities will include program sales in Asia, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and in-flight. She recently held the post of international television distributor coordinator and oversaw details of the Workshop’s participation at international television trade shows and liaised with broadcasters.

Small World Toys (Culver City, California, 310-645-9680): Karla Ilarde, former director of marketing at Small World Toys has been promoted to director of specialty sales and marketing, assuming the position of Terri Maccarrone, who is leaving the company. Ilarde will report to Howard Bennett, senior VP of sales. She has more than 10 years experience in marketing, advertising, and communications in the retail, manufacturing and e-commerce markets. Her former positions include director of marketing for simplyfamily.com, director of marketing for Cloud 9 Interactive children’s products and marketing manager for The Walt Disney Company’s Interactive group.

Taffy Entertainment (Woodland Hills, California, 818-999-0062): Lionel Marty is moving up to president of worldwide distribution at Taffy Entertainment, which manages MoonScoop and Mike Young Productions (MYP) brands. The newly created position sees Marty heading television and video sales for Taffy Entertainment’s library of kids’ programming including the MYP-produced Jakers! And MoonScoop’s Code Lyoko. Cynthia Money has also joined the Taffy team in L.A. as president of worldwide consumer products with a remit to build consumer awareness and marketing platforms for the company’s brands. Money was formerly VP at VIZ Media in San Francisco. Also, Mevelyn Noriega has been promoted to senior VP sales administration, while Marie Conge at the Paris office, has been promoted to senior VP of international sales.

Turner Broadcasting Systems UK (London, England, 0207-693-1000): Anthony van Someren has joined as VP of creative and production of Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Toonami and Cartoon Network Too, UK. The newly created role, following a restructure in May, is one of three new VP positions. van Someren will be responsible for developing and championing the creative vision across all platforms at all of Turner’s UK kids’ channels. He previously worked at Flextech Television where he was creative director across Trouble, Challenge, Bravo and Player channels, with responsibility for creative execution across the board.