Genius Brands adds Foothill CEO

US children’s content firm Genius Brands International (GBI) has recruited the CEO of LA-based Foothill Entertainment for its distribution team.

Jo Kavanagh-Payne has joined Genius as senior VP of global distribution but will continue to serve as CEO of Foothill Entertainment.

Meanwhile, Genius has added responsibility for worldwide content sales and marketing to Stone Newman’s role as president of global consumer products.

Newman, who joined GBI in 2014, will oversee sales of properties such as SpacePOP, Llama Llama, Baby Genius, Secret Millionaires Club and Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab.

Kavanagh-Payne, meanwhile, will seek out potential coproduction partners and advise on the development of new and acquired properties for international and domestic distribution.

The industry veteran founded Foothill Entertainment with her husband, Gregory Payne, in September 2000.