Mo Willems’ Hidden Pigeon Company (HPC) has brought in former Cyber Group USA president Karen Miller as its second CEO.
Starting in her new role today, Miller replaces Kathy Franklin, who is transitioning into an advisory position at the growing company.
Under this new leadership, HPC seems well-positioned to ramp up on building multiplatform brand plans for kids author Mo Willems’ publishing titles. Willems set up HPC last May in partnership with LA-based Stampede Ventures and RedBird Capital Partners, a private investment firm in New York.
Miller is coming off a two-year stint with Cyber Group Studios, where she was CEO of the French company’s US division, overseeing operations from its offices in LA. Prior to that, she served as SVP of content at NBCU’s Universal Kids linear network, with responsibility for franchise development and audience growth.
But Miller’s stacked resumé speaks to her depth of experience and longevity in the kids and family entertainment industry. She spent 17 years at Warner Bros. Entertainment, where she produced shows like Full House and later served as a content acquisitions VP in its consumer productions division. She also worked at Disney Channels Worldwide for eight years (2010 to 2018), managing global content strategies and co-productions for Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD.
In a release, Miller highlighted the “enormous potential” for expanding Willems’ books, which have strong family-friendly appeal and should work well in the international market. HPC already has a number of projects in the works, including TV adaptations of Willems’ quirky Pigeon book series (which has sold more than eight million copies in North America alone) and his 25-title Elephant & Piggie collection.
Miller’s appointment comes in the wake of two November 2023 hires: Erin Morris as head of global consumer products and Carol Roeder as publishing executive director.