Michael Jaffa Promoted to COO of Genius Brands

Genius Brands International has named Michael Jaffa as chief operating officer, promoted from his previous role as general counsel and senior VP of business affairs.

Jaffa will now be responsible for overseeing the business operations of production, consumer products and global distribution, as well as legal, human resources and the diversity divisions. He will continue to oversee the business and legal operations of the company’s digital channels, Kartoon Channel! and Kartoon Classroom!, while retaining his responsibilities as general counsel.

Prior to joining Genius Brands, Jaffa served as head of business affairs at DreamWorks Animation Television. Previously, he was the VP of legal and business affairs for Hasbro Studios.

“Since joining Genius Brands in 2018, Mike has been a tireless leader in driving the business forward as we lay the foundations for the next great kids’ company,” commented Genius Brands’ chairman and CEO, Andy Heyward, to whom Jaffa continues to report. “Heading into 2021, we are poised to take a giant leap forward with the execution of business strategies for our new brands Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, Shaq’s Garage and Stan Lee Universe joining tentpoles Rainbow Rangers and Llama Llama, and the continued rapid expansion of our digital platform, Kartoon Channel! now in over 100 million U.S. TV households, and available in virtually the entire country. He will additionally oversee the integration of the recent acquisition of Chizcom Media, the largest buyer of children’s advertising in North America. Mike’s pedigree coming from Hasbro Productions, and DreamWorks TV Animation, is another example of building Genius Brands into a powerhouse entertainment company with leadership of proven pedigree from the world’s most successful companies in the entertainment and broadcast industries.”

“There are tremendous opportunities for growth in the years to come for Genius Brands,” said Jaffa. “I am honored to take on this expanded role and look forward to working together with Andy, my management colleagues, our dedicated employees, and all of the departments across our business to continue our transformation to one of the foremost producers and distributor of enduring first-class content for kids and their families.”