Authentic Brands Group makes string of hires after Care Bears acquisition

ABG gained the rights to Care Bears in July

US-based brand and entertainment platform Authentic Brands Group (ABG) has hired four execs after closing its acquisition of classic kids’ IP Care Bears.

The execs have been hired to accelerate the Care Bears brand through content, experiences, products and partnerships.

Ex-Moonbug, Marvel and Disney exec Simon Philips will lead the team as exec VP of character brands. He is joined by VP of brand management Charlotte Payne, VP of retail development, entertainment Amy Sullivan and VP of brand, entertainment, Cristina Villegas.

The four execs will be supported by a broader team spanning creative, content, marketing, licensing and commercial development.

The hires come after ABG acquired the rights to the Care Bears franchise last month.

Care Bears started off as a greetings card line painted by artist Elena Kucharik in 1981, before being turned into bestselling cuddly toys, animated TV specials and movies.

Corey Salter, CEO of entertainment at ABG, said: “We are thrilled to officially welcome Care Bears to Authentic and to have a strong team in place that knows how to turn great characters and stories into lasting brands.

“Care Bears brings more than four decades of emotional connection, global recognition and an incredibly rich universe. We have the people, the platform and the opportunity to build on that foundation and take Care Bears into its next era.”