Nickelodeon UK has named former Mattel exec Clare Piggott as its new VP of consumer products. During a chat with Piggott just three days into the job at her new Oxford Circus-area digs earlier this month, she said she was eager to start working on Nick’s ever-broadening portfolio, and felt that her previous experience with Barbie at Mattel put her in excellent stead to expand retail and product opportunities for Dora the Explorer, currently one of the top girls preschool licenses in the UK.

As for making new introductions to the UK market, Piggott was particularly jazzed about ramping up programs for Dora’s cousin Diego and the heroic Wonder Pets trio of Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming. To that end, Piggott will be working closely with both Howard Litton, MD of Nickelodeon UK, and Nick & Viacom Consumer Products Jean-Phillippe Randisi, VP & MD for EMEA.

Piggott takes over the role from Trudi Hayward, who left the company to pursue consultancy work. No stranger to the UK licensing community, Piggott got her start at agency CPLG, eventually working her way over to Mattel, where she served as senior country manager for Mattel Brands Consumer Products UK.