New Licensing Agency to Rep Mr Men and Little Miss

The new agency is run by managing directors Maria Maranesi and Marie-Noelle Lutte.

Maranesi has more than 20 years of licensing experience in global organizations, including the role of EMEA regional leader across Mattel and HIT brands' full portfolio and, most recently, vice president EMEA, National Geographic Partners, where she led the National Geographic licensing program in Europe and Africa.

For Mattel EMEA, Lutte drove strategy, market growth and product innovation in the publishing category. For The Walt Disney Company, she led a strategic partnership with the company's global publishing licensee.

The other members of the BLA team include former senior executives from the toys, publishing, entertainment and licensing sectors, all of whom bring many decades of experience to this new venture.