Brand Central has announced the hiring of Liza Abrams to the newly created position of senior vice president, manufacturer representation and Brand Central Insights trend service. She will be based in New Jersey and report directly to Ross Misher, chief executive officer, Brand Central.

Abrams will lead Brand Central’s portfolio of manufacturers to acquire licenses that will help them grow their businesses in new and existing channels. Additionally, she will lead Brand Central Insights, a customized trend intelligence service in the licensing industry, which services media companies, IP owners, retailers and manufacturers.

“Liza’s proven track record, a stellar reputation and licensing expertise will be a welcome addition to Brand Central’s team as she elevates and accelerates our fast-growing manufacturer consulting and trend practice within the agency,” says Misher. “As a licensing veteran and leader in our industry – currently serving as a board member of Licensing International – Liza will leverage her broad network of relationships and experience to bear for our clients.”

Abrams comes to Brand Central from Sakar International, where she spent the past 15 years focused on manufacturer representation, licensing strategy and consumer products’ brand extensions. At Sakar, Abrams created global licensing programs across many consumer product categories, including youth electronics, mobile accessories, children’s wheeled goods and fitness/wellness.

Before her tenure at Sakar, Abrams worked for 4Kids Entertainment, which represented global brands including “Pokémon,” Cabbage Patch Kids, World Championship Wrestling and more. Before her foray into licensing, Abrams spent several years working in the New York art scene at institutions including the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of American Folk Art as well as galleries and the Big Apple Circus.

“I’m thrilled to join the Brand Central team during this period of immense growth for the company,” says Abrams. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with a very diverse range of manufacturers, from established billion-dollar CPG companies to fast-growing e-commerce companies. Brand Central is well-positioned to work with the right companies that will lead retail in the future in the fastest growing sectors. This exciting new challenge will allow me to work with many old colleagues in the industry and form new relationships as we scale our business.”