MOONBUG ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUES THE EXPANSION OF THEIR LICENSING AND MERCHANDISE TEAM WITH THREE NEW SENIOR APPOINTMENTS

Suzanne Larkin joins Moonbug to head up Softlines EMEA & ANZ, Samar Selby to head up FMCG EMEA & ANZ and Duncan Hamilton to head up Publishing and New Business Development for EMEA & ANZ

LONDON – 13 September 2022 – Moonbug Entertainment, a Candle Media Company, announces the appointment of Suzanne Larkin to lead Softlines EMEA and Australia New Zealand, Samar Selby to lead FMCG in EMEA and ANZ, whilst Duncan Hamilton is appointed to lead Publishing and New Business Development EMEA and ANZ. These three newly created roles come as a result of Moonbug’s Licensing and Merchandising team’s expansion. All roles report to Francesca Romana Gianesin, Head of Consumer Products EMEA & ANZ and are based in the UK.

In her new role Suzanne Larkin is responsible for building the Fashion & Home Licensing business in EMEA & ANZ. Prior to Moonbug, Larkin held various senior positions at The Walt Disney Company. Most recently she was Director, Product Design and Development EMEA Softlines, where she oversaw the EMEA fashion and home design development team. Previous to this role, Larkin was Director Softlines Category EMEA at The Walt Disney Company.

Samar Selby joins Moonbug to build the FMCG licensing and merchandise business. This will include developing strategic plans, identifying new business opportunities across the brand portfolio and building relationships with FMCG partners in EMEA & ANZ. Selby brings a wealth of knowledge to the role with over a decade of experience in licensed consumer products. Prior to Moonbug, Selby was part of the FMCG EMEA team at The Walt Disney Company. She also held the position of Commercial Manager, Toys and Stationary, UK and Eire at The Walt Disney Company.

Duncan Hamilton will lead and develop the EMEA & ANZ publishing business, bringing the collaboration with current and new licensees to the next level, focusing on geographical scale, new channels, and format innovation. He will also be responsible for New Business Development in the region. Prior to Moonbug, Hamilton was Senior Director, International Business Development and Publishing at Paramount, where he led the international and business development, as well as the publishing teams in the EMEA and APAC regions. 

Francesca Romana Gianesin, Head of Consumer Products EMEA & ANZ at Moonbug Entertainment comments, “Our consumer products business is growing rapidly, and these new roles are key for our continued expansion across Europe, Middle East and Africa, also expanding Australia & New Zealand L&M business. Together Suzanne, Samar and Duncan are great leaders who bring a wealth of experience and expertise and I am looking forward to working with them all. Exciting times at Moonbug!”

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

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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.