Merchantwise has appointed Jacqui Shilson-Josling as Senior Director, Licensing, and Felicity Drake as Director Partnerships and Promotions, strengthening the agency’s leadership team across Australia and New Zealand.
The appointments expand Merchantwise’s licensing, partnerships and promotions capability across its entertainment, gaming and consumer products portfolio.
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Shilson-Josling will lead the Hasbro licensing portfolio across Australia and New Zealand. The remit includes brands such as Peppa Pig, My Little Pony, Transformers, Monopoly, Play-Doh, Nerf and Hasbro Games.
She will also manage the Wizards of the Coast portfolio, including Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Merchantwise said the brands present growing opportunities across consumer products, retail, experiential and lifestyle licensing.
Shilson-Josling joins from BBC Studios ANZ
Shilson-Josling joins Merchantwise from BBC Studios ANZ, where she most recently served as Head of Licensing for Bluey, Doctor Who and franchise brands.
During her time with BBC Studios ANZ, she played a senior role in the commercial growth of Bluey’s consumer products program. Her career also includes senior licensing and publishing roles with Scholastic Australia.
Shilson-Josling’s experience spans apparel, FMCG, publishing, retail activations, promotions and strategic brand partnerships.
Drake to lead partnerships and promotions
Drake will develop Merchantwise’s partnerships strategy for licensed promotions across the agency’s brand portfolio. Her focus will include QSR, retail and location-based entertainment.
She will also lead work with priority promotional partners and explore brand collaborations across toys, games, television and film properties.
Drake most recently headed up promotions and trade marketing across Australia and New Zealand for Universal and Warner Bros. Her work included tie-ins for Barbie, Wonka, Wicked, A Minecraft Movie and Wuthering Heights.
Before that, Drake managed partner strategies for Sony Pictures Releasing film franchises including Spider-Man and James Bond. Her partnership experience spans QSR, travel, luxury, fashion, beauty, FMCG, retail, education, loyalty and technology.
Leadership backs next phase of growth
Merchantwise Group CEO Alan Schauder said: “I am delighted to be welcoming Jacqui and Felicity to the Merchantwise team. Jacqui is one of the most respected and accomplished licensing executives in the Australian market and brings with her experience leading major global brands, a strategic mindset, commercial acumen and strong industry relationships. We are thrilled to have her leading the Hasbro portfolio.
“Felicity is a highly experienced entertainment marketer who joins us with skilled stakeholder management and extensive industry relationships. Her passion for creating meaningful brand partnerships has delivered success across cinema box office, major cultural moments and consumer product sales, and we are excited to have her on the team to drive partnerships and promotions across our brands.”
Shilson-Josling said: “Merchantwise has an outstanding reputation for building innovative, best-in-class licensing programs. The Hasbro portfolio boasts some of the world’s most loved and enduring brands, and I’m excited to join the team and help drive the next phase of growth and innovation across the region.”
Drake said: “Having partnered with Merchantwise for years I’m delighted to join the company. We have among the best IP available for creative collaboration across toys, games, television and movies. I’m thrilled to spearhead promotions for such a robust library of entertainment, growing the scope of our brands and impact for our important partners.”
Merchantwise is an entertainment, gaming and sports licensing agency across Australia and New Zealand, with a growing presence across the UK, Europe and China.
The agency is part of Merchantwise Group, a full-service brand management, marketing and media agency spanning brand licensing, creative, social, digital and performance media.