MOONBUG ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF FRANCESCA ROMANA GIANESIN AS HEAD OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

LONDON – 5 May 2022 – Moonbug Entertainment Ltd. announces the appointment of Francesca Romana Gianesin as Head of Consumer Products EMEA ANZ. In this newly created role Gianesin is responsible for driving the consumer products business across EMEA and ANZ. Her remit covers all Moonbug properties, including hit brands such as Blippi, CoComelon and Little Baby Bum. 

Gianesin is an experienced international business executive with vast experience in the consumer products business. Prior to Moonbug she spent 20 years at The Walt Disney Company where she held a variety of leadership roles across different business segments, countries and regions. Most recently she was Senior Vice President and Board Member of Disneyland Paris, where she oversaw all the Resort’s experiences and products. Prior to this, she was based in London, at the Disney EMEA headquarters, serving as Vice President Consumer Products for EMEA. 

Gianesin started her career at Disney working as Vice President Consumer Products Italy and Vice President Retail, where she was responsible for driving commercial strategy, expanding businesses and seeking out new distribution opportunities across the business.

Prior to joining Disney, Gianesin worked in commercial roles for Johnson Wax, Unichips Group and Playtex. 

“I am thrilled to be joining Moonbug at such an exciting time for the licensing and merchandise business. Our company is experiencing continuous growth as our brands are becoming firm favourites amongst EMEA audiences,” says Gianesin. “I am looking forward to working with the team in order to create high quality, innovative and relevant products that will allow children across the region to interact with their favourite characters and expand their imagination.”

Simon Philips, Managing Director Global Consumer Products at Moonbug Entertainment, comments; “Francesca has a wealth of relevant experience and expertise that I am confident will be invaluable for the growth of Moonbug’s Consumer Products business. Her role will play a key part in our continued rapid expansion. I am very much looking forward to her coming on board at such an exciting and important time in the Moonbug journey.”

Born Italian, Gianesin graduated from La Sapienza University of Rome in Economics with a Master's degree in Business Management. She lived in different countries in Europe and is fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish. Gianesin is a champion for Diversity & Inclusion and has been ranked in the top Best Women Managers by Business People magazine Italy since 2008. She was also one of the first female leaders to sit at the Executive Committee of Centromarca, the Italian Consumer Brands Association, part of AIM. 

Gianesin will be based in the Moonbug head offices in the UK working closely with the Moonbug licensing and merchandising team in the USA.

Moonbug specializes in creating and acquiring IP and turning it into global entertainment franchises, by rapidly scaling the brand using data to increase and enhance the content, distribute broadly across Moonbug’s vast global distribution network, and creating new avenues for interaction through licensing and merchandising, original productions, and brand partnerships. 

For more information on Moonbug, visit www.moonbug.com.

About Moonbug Entertainment

Moonbug Entertainment is an award-winning global entertainment company behind some of the most popular kids’ titles in the world. Moonbug’s line-up includes global sensations CoComelon, Blippi, Little Baby Bum, Little Angel, My Magic Pet Morphle, Supa Strikas, Go Buster, Playtime with Twinkle, Gecko’s Garage, ARPO and many more.

Moonbug’s shows are on more than 150 platforms globally, including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sky, Super RTL, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Tencent, Youku and Roku. The company’s portfolio currently stands at 29 IPs and 100+ brand partners. Moonbug content is currently available in 32 languages.

Moonbug is part of Candle Media, an independent, creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, high-quality, category-defining brands and franchises. By bringing together elite talent operating at the intersection of content, community, and commerce, it helps to position leading entertainment businesses for accelerated, sustainable growth in the current market and beyond. Candle is run by its Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs, leading entertainment executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, and backed by investment capital from funds managed by Blackstone’s flagship private equity business.