LIMA Hall of Fame inductee Leigh Anne Brodsky is trading in Peanuts for Animal Planet, among other Discovery Communications brands. She is leaving her current post as managing director of Iconix Entertainment to join the education and learning-focused entertainment giant as its new EVP of Discovery Global Enterprises in June.
In her new role, Brodsky will oversee all consumer products operations, location-based entertainment and program sales worldwide for Discovery, whose brands include flagship Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet and Discovery Kids.
At Iconix, Brodsky oversaw the company’s global CP business and established the largest retail presence in the 65-year history of the classic Charles M. Schulz property Peanuts. Prior to that, she was president of Nickelodeon Consumer Products, where she led parentco Viacom’s global L&M business, building brands like SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer at retail. Brodsky was also inducted into the LIMA Hall of Fame in 2011, joining a select group that includes Walt Disney, George Lucas and Jim Henson.
In terms of Discovery’s CP operations, the company brought ex-Disney and Fox consumer products exec Robert Marick on-board in 2015 as VP of North American licensing and global location-based entertainment to help grow the business, with a focus on further building the Discovery Kids brand, targeting boys six to 11. A Discovery spokesperson confirmed that Marick will continue in his current position.