WildBrain reorganises business into three pillars to accelerate growth strategy
From top left: Maarten Weck, Stephanie Betts, Kate Smith and Ben Peace
Canadian kids’ company WildBrain has reorganised the three core pillars of its business as it works to grow the long-term value of its IP.
The three pillars have been renamed Franchise & Global Licensing, Content and WildBrain Network.
The Franchise & Global Licensing pillar comprises franchise management, global partnerships, consumer products licensing and location-based entertainment. This includes WildBrain’s management of its owned entertainment franchises, such as Strawberry Shortcake, Teletubbies, Yo Gabba Gabba!, In the Night Garden, Inspector Gadget and Degrassi.
It also includes the activities of the company’s global licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG, which represents WildBrain’s own and partner brands across territories worldwide.
Ben Peace has rejoined WildBrain to lead the franchise side of the division as executive VP of franchise, leading on franchise management, creative services and digital marketing.
Now based in London, Peace joins after almost four years leading the expansion of WildBrain CPLG across Asia Pacific, where he served as senior VP of commercial for Asia Pacific, MENA and India until February this year.
On the licensing side, Maarten Weck continues to lead the agency’s growth strategy across existing and new territories, under the new title of chief commercial officer and MD of WildBrain CPLG.
Weck also spearheads business development and growth in global partnerships, collaborating with key third-party IP and brand owners to offer tailored solutions across licensing, content production and distribution.
The Content pillar, meanwhile, invests in animation, live-action and digital-first content for WildBrain’s own brands and global partners. Covering development, pre-production and production, it includes the company’s animation studio, digital studio, animation pre-production business House of Cool and live-action production businesses.
Stephanie Betts leads Content under the new title of chief content officer, supported by Ricardo Curtis, who steps into the newly created role of head of creative for animation, and Wes Lui, who takes on the job of senior VP of business development for animation. Curtis and Lui are the co-founders and co-general managers of House of Cool.
Additionally, Morgana Duque expands her scope as senior VP and global head of production, while VP of content Daisy Wall takes on an expanded remit, adding creative leadership for digital content production alongside development, with a strong focus on core franchises.
The content sales team will also shift into the Content pillar from July 1, led by Katie Wilson, VP of global acquisitions and sales.
Finally, WildBrain Network comprises more than 1,000 WildBrain-owned and -curated kids and family channels across YouTube, FAST and AVoD, offering content from franchises owned by WildBrain and its partners. It is led by Kate Smith, under the new title of exec VP of WildBrain Network.
Josh Scherba, president and CEO of WildBrain, said: “At heart, WildBrain is a franchise-led company, built around some of the world’s most beloved kids and family brands. As we continue to build on our proven 360-degree strategy, we are sharpening our focus on the greatest opportunities for sustainable growth.
“That focus is driving stronger execution across our owned franchises and licensing partners at WildBrain CPLG, our world-class content engine and the ongoing scale and evolution of the WildBrain Network. With a clean balance sheet and a strong leadership team in place, we are investing with confidence and momentum as we position WildBrain for its next phase of growth.”
