Katie Wilson appointed Vice President, Global Sales and Acquisitions; Brian Cuff appointed Vice President & General Manager, WildBrain Television
Toronto, ON – September 25, 2024 – WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, has implemented a new leadership and team structure to drive its global Distribution business and its Canadian broadcast network, WildBrain Television.
Josh Scherba, President and CEO at WildBrain, said: “At this transformational time in our industry we continue to lead the way in delivering great content to today’s family audiences, wherever or however they are watching. These appointments highlight the team’s experience in omni-platform distribution strategies for our own and partner brands, delivering the very best entertainment content to kids and families in Canada and around the globe.”
In its global Distribution business, WildBrain has appointed Katie Wilson to the role of Vice President, Global Sales and Acquisitions. Based in Toronto and reporting to Kate Smith, Executive Vice President, Audience Engagement, Wilson will lead WildBrain’s team of dedicated content sales professionals, drive commercial and rights strategies for WildBrain’s world-leading library of kids’ and family content, and oversee sales revenue as well as the management of transactional rights (EST) and sales in the US. She will also spearhead third-party content acquisitions and related production relationships.
Formerly WildBrain’s Vice President, Channels and Global Acquisitions, Wilson has been with the company since 2020, working across the company’s television and distribution businesses, commissioning and acquiring new series, managing creative relationships with producers and providing oversight of broadcast programming. Since joining WildBrain, Wilson has commissioned such notable shows as The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy, Caillou, Ruby and the Well, Summer Memories, Life with Luca, Badjelly and the upcoming new Degrassi documentary series from WildBrain and Peacock Alley. Wilson previously worked at Corus’ kids’ networks with a remit across original commissions, programming strategy and managing partner channels.
Additionally, as part of the new sales team structure, Darcee McCartney has been promoted to the position of Director, Sales, reporting to Wilson, while Rachel Julkowski has been promoted to Sales Manager, reporting to McCartney. The team’s sales territories are detailed below.
WildBrain’s Audience Engagement team attending MIPJUNIOR & MIPCOM
An integral part of WildBrain’s 360° capabilities across Content Creation, Audience Engagement and Global Licensing, WildBrain’s Audience Engagement team is responsible for delivering the company’s entertainment content to fans around the world, through its global distribution business, its world-leading YouTube network and its digital marketing channels. Members of the Audience Engagement team below will be attending MIPJUNIOR and MIPCOM, the world’s leading content sales market, in Cannes from October 18 to 24. Market attendees can visit the WildBrain team at stand # R8.C18 to learn more about great shows such as Badjelly, Secrets at Red Rocks, Malory Towers, Ruby and the Well, Boy & Dragon and much more from WildBrain’s world-leading library of more than 14,000 half hours of kids’ and family content.
Kate Smith, Executive Vice President, Audience Engagement, who leads the Audience Engagement business pillar.
Lara Ilie, Vice President, AVOD and FAST, who drives WildBrain’s world-leading business in the non-YouTube AVOD and FAST space for kids’ and family content.
Katie Wilson, Vice President, Global Sales and Acquisitions, who oversees the Distribution sales team and leads sales in the US, content acquisitions and Distribution rights strategy.
Wiebke Hoefer, Senior Director, Sales, who leads content sales in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Benelux.
Darcee McCartney, Director, Sales, who leads content sales in Canada, Latin America & Hispanic US, Australia & New Zealand, Nordics, Russia/CIS, Central Eastern Europe, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Israel.
Max Tang, Senior Manager, Content Partnerships, who leads content sales in China.
Rachel Julkowski, Sales Manager, who leads content sales for Asia (excl. China), Middle East, Africa and Inflight.
WildBrain Television
In WildBrain Television, Brian Cuff has been appointed to the role of Vice President & General Manager. In his new role, Cuff will lead the company’s team of dedicated broadcast professionals for WildBrain’s four Canadian television broadcast channels, Family Channel, Family Jr., WildBrainTV and Télémagino, overseeing day-to-day operations, revenue streams and business development, while also leading partner relations across television distribution and broadcast regulatory bodies.
Formerly WildBrain Television’s Vice President of Distribution and Strategic Partnerships, Cuff has been with the company’s television group since 2015, working in progressively senior roles across channel distribution, Canadian regulatory matters and business development. Cuff previously held senior roles with Sony Pictures Canada, CanWest Global and Astral Media. He holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management and an LLB from Dalhousie University. Based in Toronto, Cuff reports to Scherba, who heads up the company’s Canadian television broadcasting group.
WildBrain Television is dedicated to making screen time family time, delivering best-in-class programming that Canadian families love. Comprised of Family Channel, Family Jr., WildBrainTV and Télémagino, the network is home to world-renowned series and specials, including Ruby and the Well, Degrassi, Holly Hobbie, The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy, Caillou, Summer Memories, LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter, The Smurfs, Where’s Waldo, Madagscar: A Little Wild, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City and much, much more.
For more information, please contact:
Aimée Norman at Liberi Consulting, external PR for WildBrain
+44 (0) 7957 564 050
About WildBrain
At WildBrain we inspire imaginations through the wonder of storytelling. As a leader in 360° franchise management, we are experts in content creation, audience engagement and global licensing, cultivating and growing love for our own and partner brands around the world. With approximately 14,000 half-hours of kids’ and family content in our library—one of the world’s most extensive—we are home to such treasured franchises as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Inspector Gadget and Degrassi. WildBrain’s mission is to create exceptional entertainment experiences that captivate and delight fans both young and young at heart.
Our studios produce such award-winning series as The Snoopy Show; Snoopy in Space; Camp Snoopy; Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City; Sonic Prime; Chip and Potato; Teletubbies Let’s Go! and many more. Enjoyed in more than 150 countries on over 500 platforms, our content is everywhere kids and families view entertainment, including YouTube, where our network has garnered approximately 1.5 trillion minutes of watch time. Our television group owns and operates some of Canada’s most loved family entertainment channels. WildBrain CPLG, our leading consumer-products and location-based entertainment agency, represents our owned and partner properties in every major territory worldwide.
WildBrain is headquartered in Canada with offices worldwide and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WILD). Visit us at wildbrain.com.