Licensing Industry

Time spent in the licensing industry:
14 years

First job in licensing:
I joined CPL in August 1994.

What were your responsibilities?
I was working for Melvyn Thomas, the Development Director at CPL at that time. Melvyn’s role was pitching for new properties and new rights, so it taught me some of the fundamentals of licensing - not only the nuts and bolts of deals in terms of licensor contracts but also the creative side: how to think about what ideas, products and categories might work for a particular licence. It was a very good introduction to licensing.

Current job in licensing:
VP Consumer Products, Nickelodeon UK

What are your responsibilities?
I'm responsible for setting our overall sales, marketing and retail strategy, heading a team of six.

What is your greatest achievement so far?
From a licensing perspective the best is yet to come. But my greatest achievement so far is producing my very own focus group: my two children. In fact they really have been able to give me useful feedback because the jobs I’ve had through licensing have often involved properties relevant to their age group. When I was at Mattel my daughter liked Barbie and my son liked Hot Wheels. Now I’m at Nickelodeon, my daughter loves the live action and my son loves SpongeBob.

What is the best licence you have worked on so far in your career?
The best licence is always the one you're focusing on. I do, however, have a soft spot for Dora the Explorer because of the feedback we get from parents about how great she is as a model for their kids. She loves adventure, she’s not passive and she’s even taught children to speak Spanish. A really inspirational character.

What licence would you most like to have in your portfolio?
We’ve got a pretty full portfolio of lovely brands at the moment. I’m very happy with that.

If you could choose your dream job in licensing, what would it be and why?
The one I’m doing right now – but I would move the office from central London to my home.

What's the best thing about working in the licensing industry?
No two days are ever the same. I love the challenge of understanding what retailers need. And then, of course, there’s the people. The industry is full of lively and entertaining personalities - many of whom I know things about that I couldn’t possibly reveal!