International Kids Licensing Days:
The latest international trends in Kids Licensing

With more than 10 years’ experience in building and managing the licensing business, Antonella Ceraso has a strong background in Brand Strategy and Marketing.

As Director of Consumer Products at Planeta Junior, Antonella is responsible for the business development and licensing strategy of Planeta Junior in Europe, US and LATAM. Able to develop key strategic relationships with customers, dealers and distributors by leveraging existing relationships as well as building new ones to increase profitability, she is successful in the design of long-term strategies to maximize sales and profitability. 

Ivan Colecchia is SVP Global Development at Kidz Global, a quantitative market research and consulting firm specializing in children, teens and family-friendly consumer markets, covering 44 countries in all continents. Specializing in the broad child-orientated consumer market, the company’s focus includes, but is not limited to, licensing, toys & games, video-games, entertainment, digital devices, advertising, FMCG and education.

After 20 years’ experience in a broad range of market research - kids, FMCG, sports, beauty, and restaurants - Ivan joined Kidzglobal in 2011. A much-appreciated expert in the licensing and kids business worldwide, he is frequently asked to speak at kids content licensing conferences.

Maurizio Distefano è fondatore e Presidente dell’agenzia di Licensing e Management Consulting che prende il suo nome, è un professionista accreditato a livello internazionale con più di 30 anni di esperienza nel settore. Laureato giovanissimo in materie economiche, ottima conoscenza di quattro lingue, ha subito iniziato la sua carriera manageriale in aziende multinazionali FMCG di primaria importanza nei reparti marketing e commerciali come Nestlè, Kellogg’s, Group Bolton Manitoba, Sutter Group. Ha lavorato sia in Italia che all’estero in aziende leader nel campo del Licensing come Warner Bros. Consumer Products e RAINBOW.  Inoltre, ha frequentato con successo un master per accreditarsi come business coach.

Grazie alla sua considerevole esperienza e le conoscenze che ha appreso durante gli anni di lavoro nel Licensing, è riuscito a realizzare per le aziende italiane ed estere, un’opportunità di business e progetti ad hoc utilizzando il Licensing come strategia di marketing per creare valore.

With over 30 years’ experience, founder and president of his own licensing and management consulting agency, Maurizio Distefano has acquired international standing in the business. Fluent in four languages, he started his management career as a very young Economics graduate in the marketing and commercial departments of leading multinational FMCG companies like Nestlè, Kellogg’s, Group Bolton Manitoba, and the Sutter Group. He gained further experience working both in Italy and abroad in major licensing companies like Warner Bros. Consumer Products, and RAINBOW. Maurizio also completed a Business Coach Master’s degree. His broad experience and knowledge of the licensing sector has allowed him to provide Italian and non-Italian companies with a range of business opportunities through ad hoc value-creating licensing marketing strategies.

The agency Maurizio Distefano the Evolution of Licensing is uniquely equipped to offer across-the-board programs fully in tune with the specific business development requirements of each licensee. Maurizio selects animated series, movies, creators and brands to ensure successful licensing projects. The Agency owes its success largely to his unique body of experience in the entertainment, commercial and international business world, together with a deep understanding of how the retailing and distribution world works.

Silvia Figini is COO of Sanrio GmbH (EMEA, Oceania and India) and Mister Men Limited (Worldwide). She joined the company in December 2019, bringing her consolidated experience working on both the licensor and licensee side.With a strong financial-consultant background and 20 years’ experience at Disney and Egmont Publishing, Silvia manages an international team and is a key strategic guide for the business development of Sanrio’s iconic characters.

Siobhan Galvin is Commercial Director at Story House Egmont UK, one of the UK’s leading children’s magazine publishers.  With 25 years’ experience in children’s publishing, she’s passionate about the positive role magazines play in children’s lives – the unique package of print activities, stories and play have a valuable role in improving literacy and child development.  She’s also Story House Egmont’s sustainability champion and working to deliver sustainable transformation across the Kids’ Business whilst continuing to create magazines that are loved by children and valued by parents.  

Passionate about marketing and communication for over 30 years.

Smurfologist at heart, the Smurf is the ideal character to convey messages of joy and pleasure across the blue planet.

Fan of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), I have made it my way of life and the Smurf is also its universal ambassador.

Delighted to share the pleasure of living, we only live once!

Neal Hoskins runs WingedChariot, a content marketing consultancy focusing on digital content projects. His clients include the Bologna Children’s Book Fair for digital events, the estate of Tomi Ungerer for his legacy, and several digital companies for their mobile app projects.

Mark Kingston is Senior Vice President, International, Paramount Consumer Products. In this role, Mark oversees the Consumer Products business for all Paramount brands and properties across all international (ex-US) markets in partnership with local teams.  

Kingston reports directly to Pam Kaufman, President of Global Consumer Products, Paramount.

Mark joined the company in January 2011 in the newly created role of Vice President, Europe Licensing, Retail Sales and Trade Marketing. In this role, Kingston established and successfully managed Paramount’s European Key Account strategy before taking on the role of General Manager & Senior Vice President for Paramount EMEA. Tasked with developing and driving Paramount’s EMEA consumer products strategy and expansion, he also took responsibility for regional licensing programmes across both direct-to-retail, licensee-managed businesses and region-specific CP strategies in line with Paramount International’s overall business strategy. Additionally, Kingston identified and built new business opportunities regionally and where appropriate, internationally.

Kingston joined Paramount from The Walt Disney Company where he served as Business Unit Director, responsible for all aspects of the licensed and vertical business at UK supermarket chain, Tesco where he managed a team of 15 sales, marketing, retail planning & product development professionals. Prior to this role, Kingston held Key Account Director posts for Tesco, Asda, Toys R Us and Costco accounts at Disney.

Kingston also served as Senior National Account Manager at BBC Worldwide for key clients, including WHSmith, Waterstones and Ottakers, and he began his career at Mars Confectionery, a division of Mars Inc. 

Mark Kingston graduated from the University of Leeds with a BSc Hons degree in Animal Science and lives in Buckinghamshire with his family.   

With 19 years’ experience in the licensing industry, Joachim Knödler has a proven track record building up national and internationally successful licensing programs for world-class corporate kids and entertainment IP´s.

Head of Licensing at Studio 100 Media, Joachim leads the national and international licensing team in all Studio 100 Media’s ww Ip licensing and 3^rd party rights projects.

Before entering the licensing industry, Joachim worked with the German marketing team of the world’s leading toy company, Hasbro.

Helena Mansell-Stopher is CEO and founder of Products of Change, an online hub for sustainability.  During her 23-year career in the licensing industry across media and lifestyle brands, she has worked with companies such as HIT Entertainment, Mattel, Marvel and more recently, driving sustainable change within the consumer products division at National Geographic.

Helena founded Products of Change as a safe place for industry to learn, connect and lead the conversation together to transition the industry to a more sustainable future. The platform provides a networking zone enabling its members to connect and drive peer-to-peer learning, but also delivering educational materials, research documentation, videos, podcasts, webinars and a weekly newsletter.   Helena is also curator of the Sustainability in Licensing Conference (SILC), the first of its kind in the brand and licensing industry. 

After graduating in Law at Barcelona’s Universitat Autonoma, and in Sports Law at the University of Lleida, Pau Pascual practised law for a few years, specializing chiefly in sports law. In 2002, he joined Nike to manage the legal department of a business unit within the company managing the licensing, retail, and soccer schools of several football clubs (FC Barcelona, Juventus FC, Manchester United, Paris St. Germain). About 3 years after, he was put in charge of the commercial section of this business unit. In 2010, Pau joined CPLG as Commercial, Marketing and Retail Director for the Spanish Office. In 2013, he was appointed Managing Director for the Iberian and MENA markets, taking on his current role as VP for Southern Europe, MENA and South Asia, in 2020.

Will joined The Insights Family as Managing Director in 2021. He has worked in International Marketing at a senior level for over a decade, both for large MNEs and recently at a fast-growing digital marketing agency. With nearly 20 years’ experience in CRM, Will has built a career analysing customer data to make tactical decisions based on consumer behaviours and motivations. At The Insights Family, Will has access to a wealth of real-time survey data and will be presenting some must-know trends for those wanting to better understand and succeed in the young person’s economy.

 Studies of psychology but marketing attraction become stronger. Quality auditor in Leisure and PR  in hotels across Europe since 2000. Specialist consultant in leisure and strategy for international brands and shopping centers. In 2005 became a Partner of The Modern Kids & family, agency specialized in marketing for kids and families. In 2008 founder of Aktivamente events company  and unconventional marketing actions which in 2015 was renamed Madhouse. Madhouse obtained important contracts with multinationals such as LEGO, Marvel, Warner, Nickelodeon, to develop and implement Leisure concepts. Founder partner current head of the group  NO GROUP. Actually NoGroup is holding 9 independent companies related with the Leisure and marketing fields in Europe and Latam

Prior to founding Chicken Soup & Brownies, Simon was the Executive Vice President and General Manager, Disney Consumer Products & Digital in EMEA.
Whilst at The Walt Disney Company EMEA, Simon was responsible for The Walt Disney Company's licensed product, publishing, Disney Store, physical and digital games as well as all 3rd party retail, e-commerce and web businesses across Europe Middle East & Africa.
He brought to the role strong global business acumen as well as years of experience in the licensed, retail and entertainment sectors.
In his previous role, as President of Marvel Entertainment International, Simon was responsible for targeting new businesses, growing and increasing penetration of Marvel's existing businesses in Europe, Middle East & Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. He worked with all of Marvel's business unit leaders around the world, coordinating and overseeing growth opportunities for Marvel Entertainment outside the United States. Simon currently resides in London with his wife and two children.

David Tommaso has gained a solid management experience in entertainment and high-end branded contents and properties exploitation for worldwide leading companies, with increasing positions and results covering marketing, sales and business development roles: in the last 20+ years he has budgeted, prepared and executed marketing/sales/licence plans of entertainment brands to sustain titles positioning while maximizing revenues.

The professional development included the position of trade marketing manager in SONY BMG; marketing manager and sales director in Universal Pictures Italy; Sales Director in Paramount Pictures; Marketing & Sales Director in Blockbuster Italy; Retail Project Development Director in Camelot; and Commercial Director in Zoomarine Italy.

Actually, he is Marketing and Sales Director of Leolandia the Leading Italian theme park for with 1-10 years old kids and families.

Antje Watermann manages the marketing activities for UN Publications at the Department for Global Communications and leads the SDG Book Club and SDG Publishers Compact projects. Before that role, she worked in the Education Outreach Section where she supported several educational programmes, including Model United Nations and the United Nations Academic Impact. Prior to joining the UN Secretariat, she worked as a knowledge and advocacy officer at UNDP, focusing on the Agenda 2030 process and negotiations, and served as a communications analyst in the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. Before her time at the UN, she worked as a product manager at the Reuters News Agency in Poland, Hong Kong and New York. She holds a Masters in Economics from the University of Cologne, Germany and a Masters in Management from ESADE, Spain.

Sebastian Wehner is co-founder and CEO of Wolkenlenker, a brand development studio based in Berlin, Germany. Sebastian is the creative producer behind all of Wolkenlenker’s products, including award-winning TV productions, games, picture books and audiobooks.  He is also co-founder and CEO of Wonderz, a company with the mission to enable content creators to publish any kind of content of their entertainment brand in one app with the help of WunderBox, a robust and flexible multimedia publishing platform for children’s publishers.