Licensing International Announces Seven New Board Members

Dean Allen – chief merchandising officer, Mad Engine Apparel
Dean Allen is an industry veteran with more than 20 years in the apparel industry. Mad Engine’s chief merchandising officer since 2018, Allen served as executive vice president for the company from 2014 to 2018 overseeing and leading the sales, licensing, production and product development teams. He previously spent 16 years as a Walmart apparel buyer.

Veronica Hart – executive vice president, global franchise planning, ViacomCBS Consumer Products
Hart leads CP strategic planning, brand positioning and trade marketing executions across key markets for ViacomCBS Consumer Products. Hart came from CBS, where she built the franchise planning team for Star Trek while running the company’s licensing and consumer products division. Previously, she handled licensing at a variety of entertainment companies such as HIT Entertainment, Sesame Workshop and The Jim Henson Company.

Steven Heller – founder, The Brand Liaison
Heller is a trademark and licensing attorney and founder of The Brand Liaison, one of the industry’s leading licensing and brand management agencies. Throughout his 30-year career, Heller has been active in all aspects of licensing from launching new brands to representing both brand owners and manufacturers in licensing deals with some of the world’s largest brands. He is nicknamed “The Professor,” as he is a renowned public speaker and professor of business and law.

Holly Rawlinson – general manager, business development, Spirit Halloween and Spencer Gifts
Rawlinson has held executive licensing positions at DreamWorks, Paramount Studios, Mattel and Pokémon and currently leads the licensing division of Spirit Halloween/Spencer Gifts and is the general manager of InSpirit Designs, the company’s wholesale division. Winner of “Wonder Woman” and “Licensing Executive of the Year” awards from the Women in Toys association, Rawlinson, in her previous leadership position, oversaw the launch of FanShop, the e-commerce site of NBC-Universal’s movie ticketing division, Fandango.

Milin Shah – senior vice president and general counsel, Isaac Morris and CultureFly
Shah currently serves as senior vice president and general counsel for Isaac Morris and Culture Fly, leading sales, licensing and new business. Prior to IML and CultureFly, he worked for Earthbound Brands and Bradford License India. In 2015, Shah was awarded by Licensing International as a Rising Star, and in 2019, he was recognized by License Global Magazine as a 40 under 40 licensing executive. Shah graduated from Seton Hall Law School with a concentration in IP and Entertainment and is currently admitted to both New York and New Jersey Bar Associations.

Malaika Underwood – senior vice president, licensing, OneTeam Partners
Recently named one of Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, Underwood is senior vice president, licensing, OneTeam Partners where she is tasked with providing oversight for the company’s growing licensing business and positioning the company to deliver value to college athletes as the NCAA landscape changes. Prior to joining OneTeam Partners, she worked for The Brandr Group, IMG Licensing and the Collegiate Licensing Company.

Maarten Weck – executive vice president and managing director, WildBrain CPLG
Weck brings more than 20 years of licensing industry experience to his role overseeing global operations for WildBrain CPLG, one of the world’s leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agencies. Formerly WildBrain CPLG’s managing director for Northern Europe, the U.K., Nordic, Central and Eastern Europe and Benelux territories, Weck has been with the agency for more than 13 years. Prior to joining WildBrain CPLG, he held management positions with Memphis Belle, the Cookie Company and Keesing.