Josh Scherba Promoted at WildBrain, Eric Ellenbogen Steps Down

WildBrain has promoted Josh Scherba to the role of president and CEO, while Eric Ellenbogen has stepped down as CEO and vice chair.

Scherba has been with WildBrain since its founding in 2006. He was appointed president in 2018. Scherba has also been appointed to the company’s board of directors.

Under the company’s succession plan, Scherba replaces Ellenbogen. Additionally, Jim Fielding, chief marketing and brands officer, has been appointed as strategic advisor to the CEO and board of directors.

Don Wright, chair of WildBrain’s board of directors, said: “WildBrain has made significant progress over the last three years to emerge as a leading platform for the monetization of kids and family IP in the global market. As we look to the future, our focus is to continue building on this strategy to accelerate the growth of key franchises globally. As president, Josh played an integral role in setting and implementing WildBrain’s 360-degree strategy, and he has been a driving force behind all aspects of the company’s highly successful content business, from its award-winning animation studio through to its world-leading global distribution business. We’re confident Josh has the right combination of strategic vision, deep industry expertise and operational insights to take WildBrain forward into this next phase of growth.”

Wright continued: “The board is also pleased to further benefit from Jim Fielding’s far-reaching industry experience in the evolution of his relationship with the company. We’ve worked with Jim for years in his capacity as a consultant for our Peanuts brand, where he developed the current growth strategy, before he joined WildBrain as an executive. He has provided valuable strategic and operational counsel across key brands, transforming the company’s approach to marketing and franchise activation. Jim has a rich history with top media and consumer products companies and possesses a deep understanding and strong track record of implementing IP strategy and monetization. We look forward to working with Jim to further leverage his strategic expertise as we embark on this next phase to accelerate the monetization of our brands and build long-term shareholder value.”

Scherba stated: “It’s an incredibly exciting time at WildBrain, and I’m honored that our board has put their support behind me to lead the company. I look forward to continuing to work with our talented people across the organization, our passionate management team and the board to further execute on our global strategy, with a renewed focus on key franchises to drive profitability for the long-term success of the business and enhance value for shareholders. With our beloved iconic brands, such as Peanuts, Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake, as well as the creative expertise we’ve invested in across our teams and our truly global reach in distribution and licensing, we hold a unique position of strength in the evolving marketplace to continue capitalizing on meaningful partnerships for content and consumer products.”