- Moose Toys has appointed Ben Krenz (pictured) as the new global GM of its three-year-old games division. Starting on July 14, he’ll join following the departure of president David Norman, who helped set up the unit. Krenz previously worked for 14 years at Target, most recently as a director of merchandise buying for boys toys.
- Mary Tai has started a new gig at Disney as a director of development, according to her LinkedIn account. Tai joins from Netflix, where she worked as an original content executive for preschool and kids since 2019. Before that, she was a director of current series and development at Nickelodeon. Tai began her career with a 14-year run as Sesame Workshop’s senior producer for APAC, EMEA and Brazil.
- Exceptional Minds has appointed Disney alum Lauren DeVillier as its new CEO, following the departure of David Siegel earlier this year. This nonprofit org runs an academy to train neurodivergent young adults for careers in VFX and animation. DeVillier’s resumé includes stints as VP of digital media at Disney ABC Television Group (2008 to 2016) and as a senior director at Yahoo! Kids (2006 to 2008).
- After 12 years as a sales manager at YLE, Maria Kivinen has left the Finnish broadcaster to launch Norse Key Studios. This new venture will focus on distribution and financing for both TV content and films. Norse Key is working in all kinds of formats and genres, including children’s content.
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