Hidden Pigeon Company Taps Mattel, Nickelodeon Alums

Tori Cook has been named senior VP of franchise management at Hidden Pigeon Company (HPC), while Paula Allen has been brought on as publishing consultant.

In her new role, Cook is responsible for leading and developing the short- and long-term strategy for HPC on a global scale, including spearheading the growth of the company’s consumer products programs. Prior to joining HPC, Cook held positions with Mattel, Spin Master, Saban Brands and Sanrio.

Allen, president of Screenland Literary Associates, will implement her more than three decades of experience in the field to broaden the Mo Willems universe in licensed formats globally, while also building on Willems’s work with the company’s publishing partner Union Square & Co.

Prior to founding Screenland Literary Associates, Allen served at Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Barnes & Noble.

Both Cook and Allen report directly to HPC CEO Karen K. Miller.

“Tori and Paula are recognized leaders in their respective fields and fantastic additions to our growing team of exceptional talent,” said Miller. “We are delighted to have both of these outstanding professionals onboard to help us extend our unique IP to an even broader audience of kids and ‘former kids’ across multiple platforms and merchandise categories throughout the U.S. and around the world.”

“I’m very excited to be joining HPC at this point in the company’s growth story,” said Cook. “There are so many opportunities to share Mo Willems’s wonderful and beloved characters with his large and loyal fan base, who already know and love The Pigeon, Elephant & Piggie, and Knuffle Bunny, and to introduce them to new fans. I look forward to helping to drive the growth of these enduring brands in creative new ways.”

“I am so pleased to be working with Hidden Pigeon Company to further develop publishing opportunities for Mo Willems’s terrific library of books and charming and relatable characters,” added Allen. “Mo Willems has brought such brilliantly engaging stories to life for generations of young and young at heart readers and I look forward to working with Karen, Tori and the whole HPC team to develop even more ways for consumers everywhere to engage with these book-based brands.”