Scholastic Appoints Licensing Scout

Licensing specialist Maya Maraj is joining Scholastic’s children’s publishing division in the role of licensing scout, with the express goal of expanding Scholastic’s licensing portfolio.

Maraj has a background in both publishing and licensing, having begun her career at Penguin working on the Disney portfolio before joining Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment where she helped manage licensing for artists and brands including David and Victoria Beckham, Andy Murray and “American Idol.”

“I am delighted that Maya is joining us at such an exciting time for the business. Her track record in spotting trends combined with her expertise, energy, passion and knowledge of the licensing industry will allow us to find and develop exciting new brand partnerships,” says Catherine Bell, co-group managing director, Scholastic. “This appointment reflects our ambition for growth in our licensing business, complementing the already stellar list of authors and brands that make up our trade list.”

Maya has most recently worked at Warner Bros. and Shine 360, where she managed publishing deals for “MasterChef,” “Merlin” and “The Biggest Loser.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with Scholastic. It has a fantastic heritage but is also vibrant and forward thinking, and I very much look forward to helping to develop a licensing list that will really engage and excite children,” says Maraj.