COOKIE JAR ENTERTAINMENT NAMES JOHN GILDEA SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS Executive To Oversee Company's Extensive Licensing Activities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Los Angeles, CA (January 17, 2005) - Cookie Jar Entertainment has appointed John Gildea as Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, effective immediately. The announcement was made by Toper Taylor, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cookie Jar Entertainment.
In his new position, Gildea will be responsible for all areas of licensing and merchandising for Cookie Jar's growing portfolio of children's brands. Gildea, who is based in the U.S., will report directly to Taylor.
A senior executive with extensive experience in the management of intellectual property assets across a broad variety of businesses, Gildea has over 20 years of licensing experience. He has served with globally leading toy manufacturer-distributor Hasbro, Inc. for seventeen years, where he has held senior-level positions including Vice President of Licensing and Consumer Promotions for Hasbro, Inc and Senior Vice President of New Business Development for Hasbro Interactive.
Throughout his successful tenure with Hasbro, Gildea has developed strategic relationships with the entertainment, licensing and publishing industry leaders, including such high profile corporations as The Walt Disney Co., Warner Brothers Studios, Lyrick Studios, Sesame Workshop, Scholastic Publications, Nickleodeon, and Saban/Fox. He also negotiated multiple licensing agreements with major entertainment studios, publishers, and licensors, resulting in billions of dollars in wholesale sales for properties such as Disney's brands, Barney, Harry Potter, Arthur, Teletubbies, N'Sync, Power Rangers, and New Kids on the Block.
Gildea joins Cookie Jar Entertainment after operating Intellectual Property Management, a Licensing, Marketing and New Business Development consulting company.
"John Gildea is a respected and recognized industry expert noted for his unique skills in enhancing brand awareness through the development of strategically designed licensing programs. We are delighted to add John's expansive licensing expertise, creativity and business acumen to Cookie Jar Entertainment, as we continue to expand the scope of our company's activities within the consumer products arena," said Taylor.
About The Cookie Jar Group/Carson-Dellosa
The Cookie Jar Group develops, produces, distributes and markets quality products to children, their caregivers, parents and teachers. The Cookie Jar Group's products reflect the company's commitment to providing the best in children's published content, animated and live action programming and innovative educational and entertainment-driven products worldwide. Cookie Jar Entertainment, Inc., The Cookie Jar Group's entertainment operation, is the producer of such renowned children's productions as "Arthur" and "Caillou." The educational business of The Cookie Jar Group, Carson-Dellosa ranks as one of the largest providers of supplemental education materials in the US, reaching nearly 2 million teachers with a wide array of books, classroom decoratives, puzzles and games, toys, science kits, flash cards, manipulatives and more. Sister company High Reach Learning reaches daycare providers and Head Start centers with curriculum as a direct supplier of early childhood materials for children 3 months to seven years of age. Carson-Dellosa and High Reach Learning represent the Educational subsidiaries of Cookie Jar Education Inc, a global children's educational company.
MEDIA CONTACT: SSA Public Relations Steve Syatt - (818) 501-0700
