GBI Strengthens Global Distribution Team

BEVERLY HILLS: As the company grows its worldwide licensing, merchandising and retail business, Genius Brands International (GBI) has promoted Stone Newman and tapped industry veteran Jo Kavanagh-Payne.

In his newly expanded role as president of global consumer products for worldwide content sales and marketing, Newman will take on oversight of the company’s global content distribution business for its catalog of animated properties. This includes SpacePOP, Llama Llama, Baby Genius, Secret Millionaires Club and Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab, as well as an all-new preschool property currently in development.

Newman, who joined GBI in 2014 as president of global consumer products, will also manage the worldwide rollout of the adult animated series Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders. He will continue to oversee and manage all of GBI’s licensing, merchandising, retail and marketing efforts. This includes appointing and managing the company’s growing team of leading licensing agencies in key markets around the world.

Additionally, GBI has named Jo Kavanagh-Payne to the post of senior VP of global distribution, leading the company’s worldwide content sales efforts. Kavanagh-Payne will drive GBI’s distribution business, identifying potential co-production partners and advising on the development of new and acquired properties for international and domestic distribution. In addition to her role at GBI, Kavanagh-Payne will continue to serve as CEO of Foothill Entertainment, which she founded with her husband, Gregory Payne, in 2000.

“Stone has been instrumental in driving GBI’s growth through unique and strategic initiatives, including pioneering the digital distribution strategy for the recent successful launch of SpacePOP,” said GBI’s chairman and CEO, Andy Heyward. “His relationships, experience and knowledge of the global marketplace have been and continue to be tremendously beneficial, and I look forward to his contributions in realizing the goals of both maximizing the opportunities for our myriad brands and multiplying the properties under GBI’s umbrella. Jo will also be a tremendous asset in meeting these objectives, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the GBI executive team.”

“These past two years have been an exciting whirlwind of opportunities as we’ve introduced GBI’s ‘content with a purpose’ concept through fresh, appealing properties to the worldwide licensing, merchandising and retailing communities,” noted Newman. “I am very enthusiastic about what we can accomplish in the months and years ahead and look forward to working with Jo in executing Andy’s vision for GBI’s long-term growth and continued development.”

“I’m very proud to be representing GBI’s content catalog in the worldwide marketplace,” added Kavanagh-Payne. “I’m impressed with the company’s efforts in developing entertaining programming that inspires and ignites the minds of its young viewers and am very eager to work with Stone on expanding the roster of distribution partners for each of these engaging properties.”