BBC Worldwide Appoints New Licensing Exec

BBC Worldwide has appointed Tom Keefer senior vice president of global licensing. Keefer will be responsible for growing licensing opportunities across BBC Worldwide’s portfolio of children’s and adult brands, with initial focus on the U.S. market.

According to Russell, “One of our core objectives when restructuring the business last year was examining untapped potential in territories outside the U.K., especially [in] the U.S., where such a high proportion of the world’s licensing revenue is made. Tom is the ideal candidate to drive growth in this fundamental part of our business.”

Keefer has 30 years of global licensing and brand-building experience with programs for L.A. Gear, K-Swiss, Mattel (where he was head of international marketing and boys licensing) and most recently for FIFA/2010 World Cup. He will relocate from California to New York to begin his new position on May 18. Visit www.bbc.com.

In This Issue: Earnshaw’s annual report on the growth of the industry Understanding the grandparent demographic An update on the state of e-commerce Plus: Infant and toddler fashion Coming Next Month: Preschool properties that translate into consumer products success Retailers reveal the power of accessories The sports licensing report Plus: Character-based apparel