Genius Brands Hires for Global Franchise Management

Genius Brands International has appointed Kerry Phelan, a 30-year consumer branding executive, to the newly created position of executive VP and general manager of global franchise management.

At Genius Brands, Phelan will be responsible for global management of the company’s existing IP across licensing, merchandising, retail and promotions, including Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, Shaq’s Garage, Stan Lee Universe and Rainbow Rangers. Her remit will also cover properties currently in development.

Phelan will report to both Andy Heyward, chairman and CEO, and Harold Chizick, president of global content sales, marketing and consumer products.

After she launched the Star Wars brand at LEGO Systems, Phelan was recruited directly to Lucasfilm, where she led the global consumer products and promotional licensing business for the Star Wars franchise in over 60 countries worldwide. She then joined Pixar Animation Studios, reporting directly to Steve Jobs, where she launched, in concert with Disney Consumer Products, the original Cars consumer product program. Following Pixar, Phelan spent seven years at DreamWorks Animation as head of consumer products and licensing. Most recently, she served as president of global franchise management at Lionsgate Entertainment.

“Kerry’s pedigree and reputation in entertainment branding are unparalleled as she has driven the global revenue streams of some of the most lucrative franchises in history,” said Chizick. “In the coming year, we have multiple properties launching into the global retail marketplace, including Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, which just premiered on Kartoon Channel!, as well as Shaq’s Garage and Stan Lee Universe plus more categories coming to market around Rainbow Rangers. Kerry’s leadership and strategic guidance will be instrumental in driving the growth of our brands around the world. She is a dream executive to have on board to help us achieve our long-term goals.”

Phelan said: “The majority of my career has been spent building properties into global franchises, specifically in the children’s space. Having had a peek at the coming pipeline, I am excited about the future at Genius Brands and the opportunity to build bigger brand ecosystems around their properties.”