Licensing Industry

Name
Vickie O’Malley

Time spent in licensing industry
Strictly licensing, it’s six years, almost to the day, since I joined Copyright Promotions. For many years before that I worked in closely-related industries – at Hasbro, working across the many different licences in their portfolio and before that, at Woolworths in the entertainment division, across a huge variety of properties. Good grief, that’s nearly 16 years all told. It’s going to be hard to get away with telling people I’m 32 now, isn’t it?

First job in licensing
Retail Manager, Copyright Promotions.

What were your responsibilities?
At the time, I believe CPLG were unique among licensing agents in appointing a dedicated Retail Manager – the aim was to respond to the growing realisation that a focus on retail was the future of licensing. My responsibilities were to develop string retail relationships and to achieve the greatest stand-out for Copyright Promotions in the retail arena, at that time for Spider-Man and Shrek in particular.

Current job in licensing
Managing Director of Copyright Promotions UK.

What are your responsibilities?
The general management of the UK Entertainment Division from the P&L through to people, managing my team of naughty noo-noos… It’s an incredibly diverse role and I’m lucky enough to get involved in everything from rights acquisitions to product design and corporate marketing.

What is your greatest achievement so far?
The contribution I’ve made to how our UK team is now structured, performing and perceived is something I’m very proud of. It’s great to have been able to make a mark here at Copyright Promotions and in the industry per se, in such a relatively short space of time.

What is the best licence you have worked on so far in your career?
That’s a bit like asking a parent to pick their favourite child – to name one would be nigh on impossible….and a really bad idea! Over my career, I’m very lucky to have worked on some all-time-great properties – Star Wars, Spider-Man, the Mr Men, WWE, Sesame Street and now even Elvis Presley. And the list goes on because ‘best’ can mean most profitable or most fulfilling or that the people you get work with are so magnificent.

What licence would you most like to have in your portfolio?
The sort of properties I covet are classic rights with long-term potential, properties which offer the chance to get involved in their evolution, reinvention and repositioning. Not only do these kind of assets excite me but they are important to a business like ours for long-term sustainability.

If you could choose your dream job in licensing, what would it be and why?
Setting up Copyright Promotions Fiji.

What’s the best thing about working in the licensing business?
The personalities, of course. By the nature of the business, the industry is full of big, gregarious and passionate characters and many of my dearest friends, I’ve met through the industry. It’s also great to work in business with entertainment at its heart. No two days are ever the same and no day pans out exactly as you expect when you get up in the morning… we’re very lucky.