Sesame Workshop promotes licensing executives

March 22, 2012 by Jeremy Dickson

Sesame Workshop has promoted three executives to further support its consumer products business. Gisela Abrams and Marie-Cecile Girard-Jones have both been upped to assistant VPs of international licensing, and Kerri Katz is now director of licensing and strategic partner relations.

Abrams (pictured) and Girard-Jones, who began at Sesame Workshop in 2003 as international licensing managers, will continue to report to Maura Regan, the Workshop’s SVP and GM of global consumer products. Katz, who has been with the Workshop since 2008, will report to Jennifer Ahearn, VP of strategic partner relations.

In her new role, Abrams will be tasked with overseeing new business development and merchandising initiatives for the Asia and the Pacific territories, including Japan and Australia. Before joining the Workshop, Abrams was a liaison for The Jim Henson Company to licensees in Europe, Central America and South America.

Girard-Jones will now be responsible for leading product licensing and marketing for Spain, Latin America, including Brazil and the Middle East. Included in her duties will be overseeing the upcoming 40^th anniversary of Plaza Sésamo in Mexico. Prior to Sesame, she managed domestic and international licensing programs for Marvel superhero IPs.

Working with the Workshop’s master toy licensee, Hasbro, and Proctor and Gamble, Katz will be tasked with providing licensing direction and support. Most recently, she has managed licensing for the Workshop in categories including gifts, seasonal, home, hobby and stationery for Sesame Street.

Tags: Gisela Abrams, Kerri Katz, Licensing, Marie-Cecile Girard-Jones, Sesame Workshop