The organisation celebrated the induction of Kathy Ireland and Salvatore LaRocca to the Licensing International Hall of Fame at an event in New York.
Salvatore LaRocca and Kathy Ireland
Licensing International and the Licensing International Foundation have celebrated the induction of Kathy Ireland and Salvatore LaRocca to the Licensing International Hall of Fame. Held at Gotham Hall in New York City, the 2022 Hall of Fame and Rising Star Awards event also honoured the future of brand licensing, recognising Rising Stars in the licensing business and celebrating the 2022 Licensing International Foundation scholarship recipients.
Kathy Ireland is chair, CEO and chief designer of Kathy Ireland Worldwide and has been a trailblazer in the licensing industry for decades. She founded the global brand that celebrates living and eclectic, individual style in 1993. The solely owned company has since become the highest-ranking woman-owned and individual-owned licensing business in American history.
“It is an honour to receive recognition by Licensing International for our work in brand licensing,” said Kathy Ireland. “We are grateful to work with our incredible clients, whose verticals include home, fashion, entertainment, fintech, insurance, jewellery and healthcare, and whose shared values help us to fight for human rights around the world.”
Salvatore LaRocca is president, Global Partnerships for the National Basketball Association. In his role, LaRocca oversees the commercial partnerships business for the NBA, WNBA, NBA 2K League, NBA G League, and USA Basketball on a global basis.
“I am honoured to be recognised as a member of the Licensing International Hall of Fame class of 2022,” commented Salvatore. “Sports bring people together around the world, and licensing facilitates marketing and merchandising partnerships that bring fans closer to the game.”
Inductees to the Licensing International Hall of Fame are selected by a committee of industry executives based on nominations received from the global licensing community at large; the Licensing International Board of Directors reviews all recommendations before making a final selection. Kathy Ireland and Salvatore LaRocca join industry luminaries including past inductees Martha Stewart, George Lucas, Walt Disney and Charles Schultz.
The 2022 Hall of Fame event also recognized rising talent already making strides in the licensing industry. The event celebrated the six 2022 Rising Star Award recipients as announced last month. In its tenth year, the Rising Star programme recognises young professionals from around the world who have been nominated by their peers and selected by the Rising Star committee members for their contributions to the global brand licensing industry.
Additionally, three students were celebrated as the recipients of the Licensing International Foundation 2022 Scholarship, awarded to accomplished students exploring a career in brand licensing. This year’s in-person event also included recognition of the 2021 scholarship recipients.
“We had much to celebrate at this year’s Licensing International Hall of Fame,” said Maura Regan, president of Licensing International. “From revered industry veterans to gifted newcomers, the industry is full of talent and I am continually inspired by their approach to the licensing business and the strides made to move our industry forward.”
Nominations for the 2023 Hall of Fame are now open via the website, where you can learn more about the Licensing International Foundation and support its ongoing mission to educate and inspire the next generation of licensing leaders.
