Genius Brands has promoted Michael Jaffa to chief operating officer from his previous role as general counsel and senior vice president, business affairs.

Jaffa will now be responsible for overseeing the business operations of production, consumer products, global distribution, as well as legal, human resources and the diversity divisions.  Additionally, he will continue to oversee the business and legal operations of the Company’s digital channels, Kartoon Channel! and Kartoon Classroom!, while retaining his responsibilities as General Counsel.

The announcement was made by Genius Brands’ chairman and chief executive officer Andy Heyward, to whom Jaffa continues to report.

“Since joining Genius Brands in 2018, Mike has been a tireless leader in driving the business forward as we lay the foundations for the next great kids company,” says Heyward. “Heading into 2021, we are poised to take a giant leap forward with the execution of business strategies for our new brands, ‘Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten,’ ‘Shaq’s Garage’ and ‘Stan Lee Universe,’ joining tentpoles ‘Rainbow Rangers’ and ‘Llama Llama,’ and the continued rapid expansion of our digital platform, Kartoon Channel! now in over 100 million U.S. TV households, and available in virtually the entire country.  He will additionally oversee the integration of the recent acquisition of Chizcom Media, the largest buyer of children’s advertising in North America.  Mike’s pedigree coming from Hasbro Productions and DreamWorks TV Animation is another example of building Genius Brands into a powerhouse entertainment company with proven leadership from the world’s most successful companies in the entertainment and broadcast industries.”

Jaffa has previously served as head, business affairs at DreamWorks Animation Television and was responsible for all studio business and legal affairs matters, including the negotiation and drafting of hundreds of development, production, acquisition, talent, digital and music agreements.

He was also previously the vice president, legal and business affairs for Hasbro Studios. Jaffa has also represented various clients, including Sony Pictures Animation and MGM Studios.

“There are tremendous opportunities for growth in the years to come for Genius Brands,” says Jaffa. “I am honored to take on this expanded role and look forward to working together with Andy, my management colleagues, our dedicated employees and all of the departments across our business to continue our transformation to one of the foremost producers and distributor of enduring first-class content for kids and their families.”