Consumer Product Execs Launch The Licensing Insiders

A collective of consumer product and senior brand-building experts have formed The Licensing Insiders. The group works with all consumer segments, from entertainment studios, gaming, fashion and lifestyle brands to publishing, sports, collegiate and corporate, aiming to bring expertise that hits the ground running. 

The Licensing Insiders aims to eliminate the expense of recruitment, the cost of full-time heads, benefits and onboarding.  

“All of us have seen brands commit random acts of marketing, launch programs shotgun in the hope they’d stick, or hire teams before they knew what was needed,” says Simon Waters, former divisional head, consumer products and entertainment division, Hasbro. “I would have loved fractional expertise that I could deploy to make an impact fast without the need for full-time overhead.” 

The Licensing Insiders are all former Disney executives hired to deliver for media and lifestyle brands, including Universal, Dreamworks, Lucasfilm LTD, Hasbro, Marvel and Nike, and retailers like Target and Walmart. 

“The world of licensing is highly dynamic, creating a myriad of new possibilities for emerging and established IP alike,” says Marc Low, former global head, lifestyle division, Universal. “Calling on The Licensing Insiders helps businesses fast-track their growth plans by maximizing opportunities while avoiding the pitfalls of trial and error.” 

Adding to the collective of diverse industry talent is Ann Buckingham, former chief commercialization and strategy officer, Create Me; Eva Steortz, executive coach and former senior vice president, brand development, 20th Century Fox; Darren Phillipson, former vice president, global product design, Alpha Group; Vince Brick, former senior director, customer strategic marketing, Hasbro and Maria Ancieta-Risher, former vice president, NBCUniversal Consumer Products. 

“The globalization of content now readily available at our fingertips through streaming, online and linear creates opportunities for brand-building faster and on a global scale,” says Ancieta-Risher. “Being able to leverage our collective global expertise for market expansions and international activations in the U.S. and North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia are proven strengths that our clients can tap into instantly.”