WildBrain has announced a number of management appointments to kick off 2020.

Appointments include Michael Riley as chief brand officer, Deirdre Brennan as executive vice president, content partnerships, Jianbo Wei as managing director, China, Daisy Wall as vice president, short form content and Liz Thompson as vice president, marketing and communications.

“These appointments represent further steps forward in the reorganization begun last year and will help us realize the greatest value from our leading portfolio of content and brands,” says Eric Ellenbogen, chief executive officer, WildBrain. “We’re strengthening and aligning our team to propel growth across brand building, creativity and business development. Michael, Deirdre, Daisy, Jianbo and Liz bring considerable expertise and give us a great mix of leadership skills to maximize opportunities in today’s media landscape.”

Riley will draw on more than 25 years of experience in company building, brand and IP development and global marketing to identify and develop key franchise opportunities for WildBrain’s portfolio of kids and family brands.

Brennan brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in children’s entertainment and media. Since July 2019, she has been advising WildBrain’s senior management team on content and distribution strategy, priorities and processes. As Executive Vice President, Content Partnerships, Brennan will play a key role in WildBrain’s content group, overseeing the company’s global distribution business as well as its suite of family-branded broadcast channels in Canada operated by WildBrain Television.

As managing director, China, Wei will be responsible for building an expanded business strategy to exploit the considerable opportunity in China for WildBrain’s content and consumer products licensing. In her role as vice president, short form content, Daisy Wall will play an integral role in WildBrain’s overall content strategy, developing and executing a short-form digital program for the Company’s creative slate.

Thompson has been promoted to the position of vice president, marketing and communications. Based in Toronto, she has been with WildBrain since 2011 and most recently led the successful global rebrand of the Company. She oversees WildBrain’s brand positioning, driving an integrated marketing and communications strategy across the Company’s corporate, content and consumer product groups.