Blue Ant Media on Tuesday announced several leadership appointments to strengthen its kids, family and young adult (YA) business and to support continued growth of the division’s content portfolio.
The appointments align Blue Ant Studios and Blue Ant Rights and Streaming around a coordinated commercial strategy across original productions, acquisitions, distribution and consumer products, Blue Ant Media said in a press release, adding the integrated approach will better serve the company’s global partners.
Supporting this unified approach, Diane Rankin has been promoted to executive vice president and general manager of content and rights for Kids, Family & YA. In her expanded role, Rankin will lead the end-to-end commercial strategy for the division’s portfolio, driving strategic coordination across original productions, acquisitions, distribution and consumer products to maximize the value of the company’s growing portfolio, Blue Ant said. Rankin will also continue to lead content development for the Kids, Family & YA business.
Nicola Andrews has been appointed to the new role of vice president of sales and acquisitions for Kids, Family & YA, which she will assume full-time in September, Blue Ant said. Andrews has supported Blue Ant in a consultancy capacity over the past year, bringing her expertise and relationships in kids’ content distribution and acquisitions. In her new role, Andrews will lead sales and acquisitions across the Kids, Family & YA portfolio, strengthening the company’s relationships with global partners and working closely with Blue Ant’s teams across key regional markets.
Vienna Downes has been promoted to vice president and general manager of consumer products. In this role, Downes will oversee Blue Ant’s merchandising, licensing and commercialization strategies for the broader company, and will work closely with Rankin to maximize consumer product opportunities across the Kids, Family & YA portfolio. Since joining Blue Ant as part of the Thunderbird Entertainment acquisition, Downes has played a key role in expanding licensing opportunities for franchises including preschool series BeddyByes and animated comedy-adventure series Mermicorno: Starfall, helping expand the commercial opportunities for the company’s portfolio, Blue Ant said.
In addition, Grace DeLorme is taking on a new role as coordinator of kids sales, consumer products and brand marketing. DeLorme will work closely with internal teams and external partners, helping to coordinate licensing, brand development and marketing across Blue Ant’s consumer products business.
“This structure positions us to better serve our buyers and content partners, while creating more opportunities to invest in the exceptional content, partnerships, and talent that define Blue Ant’s Kids, Family & YA business,” Jennifer Twiner-McCarron, president of Kids, Family & YA, Blue Ant Studios, said in the company’s press release.
“Our Kids, Family & YA business is an important strategic growth area for Blue Ant. By further aligning our Studios and Rights & Streaming teams around a coordinated commercial strategy, we’re strengthening our ability to serve partners around the world and unlock new opportunities across our growing portfolio,” Mark Bishop, chief monetization officer for Blue Ant Rights and Streaming, said in the release.
Following Blue Ant Media’s acquisition of Thunderbird and the integration of its kids media distribution and consumer products businesses, Richard Goldsmith, executive vice president of kids and family sales and brands, has decided to leave Blue Ant to pursue new opportunities, Blue Ant announced.
“Since joining Blue Ant, Richard has provided leadership and continuity throughout the integration process, bringing deep industry expertise and experience to the transition. Notably, he played a key role in establishing the global reach of the company’s kids and family franchises, helping to position the organization for its next phase of growth. We thank Richard for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” Blue Ant said in its press release.
Photos of (l-r) Diane Rankin, Nicola Andrews, Vienna Downes and Grace DeLorme courtesy of Blue Ant Media
