Ragdoll Worldwide has appointed Stephen Gould to the newly created position of commercial director.

Gould will manage and exploit Ragdoll programming worldwide including “In the Night Garden,” “Teletubbies,” “Dipdap” and “The Adventures of Abney & Teal.”

Prior to joining Ragdoll, Gould served as the principal for brand and licensing consultancy Bear Conran. He has also held senior positions in licensing and management at RDF Media Group (now Zodiak Entertainment), 4Kids Entertainment International, Kids Industries, Active Licensing Europe (formerly Saban Consumer Products) and HIT Entertainment.

“Stephen brings a varied and extensive knowledge of the licensing, retail and consumer markets as well as hands-on experience of a broad remit of relevant commercial trading activities,” says Mark Hollingsworth, chief executive officer, Ragdoll Worldwide. “He will make a valuable contribution to the business during this key period of growth for Ragdoll brands as well as expansion and diversification for the core IP business in general.”