Cake takes Chorion senior sales exec

UK-based kids’ distributor Cake has appointed Chorion executive Helen Blayney VP of international sales, as part of a wider divisional reshuffle.

The appointment – effective immediate – comes as previous incumbent Leila Ouledchiekh moves on to a new, currently-undisclosed role, having stepped into the position in May last year after joining from Classic Media in 2009.

Cake, which is 51% owned by Spanish children’s IP group Zinkia Entertainment, has also handed sales manager Marie-Laure Roche responsibility for sales in Asia and French-speaking Europe to go along her duties for Eastern Europe and Israel; and Bianca Rodriguez has been promoted to sales executive for Latin America.

Blayney joins from Chorion, which is in the process of selling off its assets to repay crippling bank debts. While at the London-based company, she was TV sales manager and worked on preschool properties such as Max & Ruby, Famous Five and Noddy, which was last week sold to Classic Media.

Her previous roles helping to establish Celador International’s kids’ business, and sales chief positions at other children’s content owners such as Contender, TV Loonland and The Jim Henson Company.

Cake chief commercial officer and MD Ed Galton welcomed Blayney and said her experience would be a “real asset” to the company, which handles shows such as Angelo Rules and The Sparticle Mystery. “At the same time, we also like to promote from within, as Marie-Laure’s increased role and Bianca’s promotion demonstrates,” he added.