WildBrain Ltd., a world chief in youngsters’ and household leisure, has promoted Josh Scherba to President and Chief Government Officer. Scherba may also be a part of the corporate’s Board of Administrators. Below the corporate’s succession plan, Scherba replaces Eric Ellenbogen who has stepped down as CEO and Vice Chair. Moreover, Jim Fielding, Chief Advertising and marketing and Manufacturers Officer, is now Strategic Advisor to the CEO and Board of Administrators.
Scherba has over 20 years of trade expertise and has labored at WildBrain since its founding in 2006. He turned President in 2018 and has fostered a content-led method to igniting and monetizing manufacturers from the corporate’s deep vault of useful IP in addition to partner-owned manufacturers. Well-known within the leisure trade as the first face of enterprise for WildBrain, Scherba has constructed robust, long-term relationships with quite a few main companions, together with Apple TV+; Netflix; Amazon; SEGA; YouTube; the BBC; LEGO; Mattel; and lots of others. Most just lately, Scherba drove WildBrain’s settlement to amass Home of Cool, considerably increasing the Firm’s capabilities for premium sequence, specials and options.
Fielding’s expertise main consumer-products teams contains work at world main media corporations Disney, DreamWorks and Twentieth Century Fox. As a former President of Disney Shops Worldwide, he redefined the digital and bodily retailer expertise across the globe. Fielding has held management roles at prime retailers, together with Claire’s Shops, Inc., the place he was CEO; The Hole; Lands’ Finish; and the J. Peterman Firm. Throughout his 30-year profession, he has recruited and skilled world leaders in a wide range of disciplines and in any respect ranges.
Fielding will keep oversight of the Firm’s franchise and advertising capabilities throughout a transition interval, whereas working with Scherba and the Board to implement new management.
“WildBrain has made vital progress over the past three years to emerge as a number one platform for the monetization of youngsters and household IP within the world market,” mentioned Don Wright, Chair of WildBrain’s Board of Administrators. “As we glance to the longer term, our focus is to proceed constructing on this technique to speed up the expansion of key franchises globally. As President, Josh performed an integral position in setting and implementing WildBrain’s 360-degree technique, and he has been a driving pressure behind all facets of the corporate’s extremely profitable content material enterprise, from its award-winning animation studio via to its world-leading world distribution enterprise. We’re assured Josh has the correct mixture of strategic imaginative and prescient, deep trade experience and operational insights to take WildBrain ahead into this subsequent section of development.”
Wright continued, “The Board can be happy to additional profit from Jim Fielding’s far-reaching trade expertise within the evolution of his relationship with the corporate. We’ve labored with Jim for years in his capability as a advisor for our Peanuts model, the place he developed the present development technique, earlier than he joined WildBrain as an government. He has offered useful strategic and operational counsel throughout key manufacturers, remodeling the corporate’s method to advertising and franchise activation. Jim has a wealthy historical past with prime media and consumer-products corporations and possesses a deep understanding and robust observe report of implementing IP technique and monetization. We stay up for working with Jim to additional leverage his strategic experience as we embark on this subsequent section to speed up the monetization of our manufacturers and construct long-term shareholder worth.”
“It’s an extremely thrilling time at WildBrain, and I’m honored that our board has put their assist behind me to steer the corporate,” mentioned Scherba. “I stay up for persevering with to work with our proficient folks throughout the group, our passionate administration staff and the Board to additional execute on our world technique, with a renewed give attention to key franchises to drive profitability for the long-term success of the enterprise and improve worth for shareholders. With our beloved iconic manufacturers, equivalent to Peanuts, Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake, in addition to the inventive experience we’ve invested in throughout our groups and our really world attain in distribution and licensing, we maintain a novel place of energy within the evolving market to proceed capitalizing on significant partnerships for content material and client merchandise.”
Fielding mentioned, “WildBrain is among the most enjoyable corporations I’ve labored with in my profession. Over the previous few years, we’ve made robust progress elevating and celebrating manufacturers like Peanuts, Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake. With its wealthy portfolio of IP, mixed with its in depth infrastructure and capabilities for content material and model administration, plus its wealth of proficient folks devoted to inventive excellence, WildBrain holds nice potential in at this time’s world market. I’m excited to proceed my work with Josh and the Board to assist additional ignite WildBrain’s IP and drive future development.”
“It’s been an amazing expertise to have led the evolution of WildBrain into the trade chief that it’s at this time,” acknowledged Ellenbogen. “I’m happy to depart the corporate in a a lot stronger place than I discovered it, and I’ve enormously loved working with WildBrain’s board, administration staff and proficient workers throughout the worldwide group. I’ve each confidence that Josh is the correct particular person to proceed on the trail we set collectively for WildBrain’s future.”
Supply: WildBrain
Whitney is a contract author specializing in VFX-driven fantasy movie & TV in addition to preschool animation.
