Born Licensing, one of the licensing industry’s most innovative agencies, has announced a series of strategic moves that signal a significant shift in the business’s scale and direction.

Founder and CEO David Born is relocating to Los Angeles, marking his first time living in the United States, as the company deepens its commitment to the North American market. Alongside the move, Alyssa Gourlay has been elevated to President of Born to License, taking full global responsibility for the agency’s consumer products division, and Amber Cheung has been appointed Director of Licensing for Born Licensing, the agency’s entertainment IP and advertising arm.

The moves come at a moment of considerable momentum for both divisions. Born to License now counts close to 40 clients and conducts business with every major licensor, with six full-time staff based in the U.S. and the majority of its client base North American. Gourlay, who has played a central role in building that business, will now oversee it on a worldwide basis, managing six direct reports spanning account management, business development, product development, marketing, and compliance.

“Alyssa has been instrumental in everything we’ve built with Born to License,” says Born. “She has the relationships, the instincts, and the operational depth to lead this division globally. This is a natural and well-earned step.“

Gourlay is based in Los Angeles, where Born to License’s U.S. operations are headquartered.

On the Born Licensing side, Amber Cheung steps up to Director of Licensing following what the company describes as its most successful year to date. In the past 12 months, the division has launched major advertising campaigns with Google Pixel featuring Love Actually, IAMS with Garfield, Sainsbury’s with The BFG, Take 9 starring Sesame Street’s The Count and Twix’s widely noted “Two is More than One” campaign among others. Additional major campaigns are set to launch over the coming months.

“Born Licensing is firing on all cylinders,” says Born. “Amber stepping into the Director role reflects both her contribution and the ambition we have for this division going forward.”

Born’s move to Los Angeles formalises what the business’s growth has long indicated – that the U.S. is the centre of gravity for both divisions. With six full-time U.S. team members now in place with an additional 2 hires expected to join this quarter, and a client base that reflects the priorities of the North American market, the relocation represents a deliberate commitment to drive significant new revenue into the licensing industry.

Born says:

“This is a business that has always operated globally. But the next five years are going to be transformational, and the U.S. is the market we’re betting on to drive that exponential growth. Across both divisions, across every metric, it offers the greatest growth opportunity in our history as a business.”