Guru Studio’s development VP Rachel Marcus set to exit, Oppenheimer joins sales

Rachel Marcus is leaving her role as VP of development at Toronto, Canada-based animation company Guru Studio.

Rachel Marcus

Guru said that Marcus, who joined in 2015 and was later promoted to lead development in 2019 will be stepping away from the role but will continue to consult for the studio on a variety of in-development projects.

With Marcus’s departure, longtime creative exec Dave Padbury will see his remit expand to oversee Guru’s growing roster of original IP.

During his time with Guru, Padbury has spearheaded creative development on titles including True and the Rainbow Kingdom, Pikwik Pack and Big Blue. In his expanded role, reporting to Guru president and executive creative director Frank Falcone, Padbury will work alongside senior leadership to forge new creative partnerships and coproductions.

Jennifer Oppenheimer

Elsewhere, Guru said it had expanded its sales team with the appointment of WildBrain alum Jennifer Oppenheimer as international sales and licensing manager.

Oppenheimer will be responsible for managing content and licensing sales for Guru properties including True and the Rainbow Kingdom, Big Blue and Pikwik Pack, in addition to the newly acquired preschool series 123 Number Squad, which is set to launch on Sky Kids in the UK later this year.

The new role includes oversight of sales in Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, as well as global AVoD sales. She will report to senior director of international sales, Corey Caplan.

At WildBrain, Oppenheimer was sales manager and managed content partnerships spanning Asia-Pacific, US digital and global home entertainment.