WildBrain CPLG is bolstering its global footprint and North American operations with the recent appointment of experienced licensing executive Jasen Wright to the position of vice president, North America. In this newly created role, Wright will be responsible for driving Wild-Brain CPLG’s North American efforts and expanding the agency’s portfolio of entertainment and lifestyle brands in the market. 

License Global: How did you get your start in licensing? 

Jasen Wright: I joined Beanstalk as a sales coordinator in 2005 after working in higher education for a couple of years. I networked through my alma mater, Hamilton College, and learned that Michael Stone, a fellow alumnus, was the co-founder of Beanstalk. I reached out to him for an interview and a couple of months later, my licensing career began.  

You have worked with licensors and agents such as Bravado/Universal Music Group, ABG, Beanstalk. What were some of the campaigns you worked on while at those companies?  

Over the years, I’ve worked with several high-profile licensors and licensees across corporate, lifestyle, entertainment, celebrity and sports brands. I’ve had the pleasure of developing programs with Grateful Dead and launching American Beauty beer with Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead x Warrior Lacrosse collection.  

While at ABG, our team developed the WWE x Tapout partnership and relaunched Tretorn footwear in the North American market. In my early days at Beanstalk, I hit the ground running working on licensed IPs such as Harley-Davidson – extending the brand into new products, including truck accessories and Stanley Tools, when we launched a new line of wet/dry vacs, generators and commercial heaters. I would then switch hats to manage a children’s entertainment brand such as “Curious George” across several key categories. 

The work I’ve done with licensors over the years varies greatly – from working with Baileys Irish Cream to develop tasty treats such as ready-to-drink iced coffee produced by KraftHeinz, to taking Taco Bell into the lifestyle space with an apparel partnership with Ripple Junction, among other licensed businesses. Working across such a myriad of brands demonstrates the power of licensing and how it can be such an integral tool for brand building and consumer engagement strategies. 

Want to learn more about Jasen? Check out the full article in the August issue of License Global, out now! 

WildBrain CPLG is exhibiting at Brand Licensing Europe. Be sure to register for Brand Licensing Europe here.