Deb Pierson & Lloyd Mintz Move Up at Genius Brands

Genius Brands International has elevated Kid Genius Cartoon Channel President Deb Pierson to senior VP of global content distribution and marketing, while Lloyd Mintz becomes senior VP of worldwide consumer products.

In her new position, Pierson will oversee the company’s global content distribution business for its catalog of animated brands. She will also be responsible for properties that are currently in development. In addition, Pierson is charged with finding potential co-pro partners and advising on the development of new and acquired brands for international and domestic distribution. She will continue to lead the expansion of the Kid Genius Cartoon Channel in the U.S. and abroad.

Mintz is expected to increase global awareness for Genius Brands’ portfolio of properties. This includes managing the development and execution of worldwide licensing and merchandising programs for the company’s brands.

Pierson joined Genius Brands early last year as general manager of the Kid Genius Cartoon Channel and became president in December. Mintz was named Genius Brands’ VP of consumer products in 2014. Both execs will work directly under Andy Heyward, the company’s chairman and CEO.

“Many of Genius Brands’ achievements of the past several years can be directly credited to the efforts of Deb Pierson and Lloyd Mintz,” said Heyward. “Both are stellar executives who are committed to our goal of providing intelligent entertainment experiences for today’s children, including the migration of brands across multiple platforms so that fans can engage with the brands they love in every aspect of their life. These promotions are well earned, and I am very excited to see how Deb and Lloyd will flourish in their expanded roles with the company.”

“I am proud to say that I have been passionate about Genius Brands’ content from the moment I first saw what Andy Heyward was producing and developing, and it has been an honor and privilege working alongside Margaret Loesch to build the Kid Genius Cartoon Channel,” noted Pierson. “I’m very excited to expand my role at Genius Brands to share my passion for the incredible content in the company’s library with broadcasters and other distribution platforms around the world.”

“In the three years since joining Genius Brands, I’ve been fortunate in developing a community of like-mined retailers and licensees who want to entertain youngsters as well as stimulate their minds and encourage their imaginations,” added Mintz. “I am grateful for the opportunity to expand upon the work and responsibilities I so thoroughly enjoy, and have great expectations for the future of our global consumer products developments.”