Wildbrain announces management appointments to drive brand building, creativity and business development
WildBrain Ltd. (the “Company”) (TSX: WILD), a global leader in kids and family entertainment, is pleased to announce a number of key management appointments. Michael Riley has been appointed Chief Brands Officer (CBO); Deirdre Brennan has been named Executive Vice President, Content Partnerships; Jianbo Wei has been appointed Managing Director, China; Daisy Wall has joined as Vice President, Short Form Content; and Liz Thompson has been promoted to Vice President, Marketing and Communications.
Eric Ellenbogen, Chief Executive Officer, WildBrain, said: “These appointments represent further steps forward in the reorganization begun last year and will help us realize the greatest value from our leading portfolio of content and brands. We’re strengthening and aligning our team to propel growth across brand building, creativity and business development. Michael, Deirdre, Daisy, Jianbo and Liz bring considerable expertise and give us a great mix of leadership skills to maximize opportunities in today’s media landscape.”
Michael Riley – Chief Brands Officer (CBO)
Michael Riley – As Chief Brands Officer (CBO), veteran brand, content and marketing executive Michael Riley will draw on over 25 years of experience in company building, brand and IP development and global marketing to identify and develop key franchise opportunities for WildBrain’s portfolio of renowned kids and family brands, such as Strawberry Shortcake, Teletubbies, Rev & Roll and Inspector Gadget, and he will identify new franchise opportunities within the WildBrain ecosystem. Based in New York, Riley reports to WildBrain CEO, Eric Ellenbogen.
Deirdre Brennan – Executive Vice President, Content Partnerships
Deirdre Brennan brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in children’s entertainment and media. Since July 2019, she has been advising WildBrain’s senior management team on content and distribution strategy, priorities and processes. As Executive Vice President, Content Partnerships, Brennan will play a key role in WildBrain’s content group, overseeing the Company’s global distribution business as well as its suite of Family-branded broadcast channels in Canada operated by WildBrain Television. Reporting to WildBrain President Josh Scherba, Brennan is based in Toronto.
Jianbo Wei – Managing Director, China
As Managing Director, China, Jianbo Wei will be responsible for building an expanded business strategy to exploit the considerable opportunity in China for WildBrain’s content and consumer products licensing. Bringing over a decade of experience, Wei has previously managed business and growth strategies in China for many of the world’s leading entertainment multinationals. Based in Shanghai, Wei will oversee Territory Sales Manager Lisa Lee and report to WildBrain President, Josh Scherba.
Daisy Wall – Vice President, Short Form Content
In her role as Vice President, Short Form Content, Daisy Wall will play an integral role in WildBrain’s overall content strategy, developing and executing a short-form digital program for the Company’s creative slate. Based in Los Angeles, Wall will work closely with WildBrain Spark, the Company’s AVOD business, and with creative teams at WildBrain Studios. As a member of WildBrain’s development team, Wall reports to Stephanie Betts.
Liz Thompson – Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Reporting to Scherba, Liz Thompson has been promoted to the position of Vice President, Marketing and Communications. Based in Toronto, Thompson has been with WildBrain since 2011 and most recently led the successful global rebrand of the Company. She oversees WildBrain’s brand positioning, driving an integrated marketing and communications strategy across the Company’s corporate, content and consumer product groups.
