BBCS’s Emma Hardie joins Aardman as exec commercial and brand director

UK animation studio Aardman has hired BBC Studios’ Emma Hardie for the newly created role of executive commercial and brand director.

Emma Hardie

Hardie is currently commercial director of global entertainment for BBC Studios, having joined the BBC in 2016 as brand director for BBC Earth and Factual. Prior to the BBC, she worked at Deloitte as a strategy consultant and in production on films including Anna Karenina and Paddington.

In her new role, Hardie will lead the commercial exploitation and strategy for Aardman’s brand portfolio, overseeing the strategy for financing, distribution, licensing, marketing and long-term planning of the studio’s animated IP. She will take up the position on April 15.

Meanwhile, Aardman has promoted exec board members Sarah Cox and Daniel Efergan to chief creative director and exec creative director of interactive and innovation respectively.

Cox first joined Aardman as exec creative director in 2017, since when she has overseen projects including Morph spin-off Very Small Creatures for Sky, Lloyd of the Flies for CITV and Robin Robin for Netflix. She also works as an exec producer on key Aardman IP including Shaun the Sheep: Adventures from Mossy Bottom.

Prior to joining Aardman, Cox was co-owner of ArthurCox, a film and animation production company, which she launched in 2002 alongside Sally Arthur.

In her new role, Cox will continue to lead Aardman’s creative direction while also taking part in broader studio strategic planning. She will oversee the development slate and the wider studio creative remit.

Efergan’s promotion will see him take on responsibility for ensuring Aardman continues to innovate both technology and processes to underpin its creative storytelling in new and immersive ways, while continuing to provide strategic direction and operational oversight of the studio’s gaming and interactive business.

He was formerly executive creative director of interactive at Aardman, working on interactive projects such as the Tate Movie Project and World of Invention, in addition to console game 11-11 Memories Retold. Most recently, Efergan, who joined Aardman in 2007, has been supporting the Chicken Run: Eggstraction game for Netflix.

Additionally, Aardman has promoted head of finance Joanna Cave to finance director, following the retirement of the studio’s director of finance and operations Kerry Lock. Cave joined Aardman as a management accountant in 2007 and joined the executive board at the beginning of 2024.

In related news, Aardman co-founder Peter Lord will step down from the executive board but will retain his role as creative director of the company. He will also act as an exec producer across the studio’s slate.