VIMN Bolsters Consumer Products Team

NEW YORK/LONDON: Ron Johnson has been appointed executive VP of Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) for Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN).

The appointment, which will see Johnson leading all of the company’s international consumer products operations, takes effect April 1. Johnson will be based in New York and report to Pierluigi Gazzolo, the COO of VIMN. The company has also promoted Mark Kingston to general manager and senior VP for NVCP Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Kingston will report to Johnson, as well as to Dave Lynn, the managing director and executive VP for the U.K., Australia and Eastern Europe and international content distribution. Kingston will remain based in London.

"We’re thrilled to have Ron take on this leadership role in overseeing VIMN’s consumer products business," Gazzolo said. "He possesses first-hand knowledge of our global CP operation, as well as extensive experience across global retail partnerships, holistic franchise management and product innovation. Ron’s expertise in global retail will prove invaluable in his new position, as we deepen and form new partnerships with retailers and licensees around the world and build on the strong momentum that we are seeing in our CP business."

"We’re also excited about the newly expanded position that Mark will be taking on, as it further reinforces the strength of our regionally led consumer products organization," continued Gazzolo. "Mark has already been spearheading our pan-European retail efforts and CP operations in the U.K., Russia, and Australia to great success. By extending his purview to include all pan-European CP deal-making, which also includes Middle East, North Africa and Australia, we are streamlining efficiencies to better position us to meet the demands of critical, high growth markets and create more compelling and valuable opportunities for partners."