BBC Studios reshuffles licensing team as Rikesh Desai leaves licensing director role

BBC Studios has detailed a reorganisation of its licensing team following the departure of Rikesh Desai, the company’s licensing director for the UK and EMEA.

Director of magazines, Mandy Thwaites will take on additional responsibility for the merchandising team, while global director of live entertainment, Mat Way, will now also lead the gaming and interactive team. Both will continue to report to Stephen Davies, BBC Studios’ managing director of consumer products and licensing.

Davies said: “Rikesh has been a driving force behind our merchandise and gaming licensing activity for the last few years and he generated a significant amount of new business and growth for the company, the recent ground-breaking Doctor Who game releases and the tidal wave of Bluey merchandise deals to name a few. It’s fair to say that he has left those businesses in terrific shape.

“I am delighted that Mandy and Mat have agreed to take on additional responsibilities. Mandy has enormous and impressive experience in business leadership, particularly in the field of licensing, and has deep expertise in stakeholder and client relationship management. She also plays a key role in delivering our sustainability agenda, a key consideration for the merchandise team.

“Mat, similarly, has a huge depth of experience. His role managing rights licensing for live entertainment has significant synergy with gaming and interactive markets, as evidenced by recent collaborative projects including the Green Planet 5G project.

“Mandy and Mat both bring passion, energy and commercial nous to carry on the excellent work taking place across the consumer products and licensing division here at BBC Studios.”

Thwaites joined BBC Studios in 2014 and during her time at the company she has managed multiple magazine licensing deals and compliance for over 20 brands, from Gardeners’ World, to Countryfile, to Doctor Who, Top Gear and CBeebies. She is also responsible for the recently relaunched topgear.com.

She said: “It couldn’t be a better time for me to be joining forces with the incredible merchandise team. We’ve the launch of Bluey products about to launch in the UK off the back of the show’s massive success in Australia and the USA. And then Bluey is off to Europe. Hey Duggee will lead the way as we’re soon to roll him out too across European territories. And sustainability is top of my to do list, we’ve made great strides in this area but there is still work to do.”

Meanwhile, Way has worked in the live entertainment team at BBC Studios for 10 years and was promoted to global director of live entertainment in 2018. Following an early career in radio production, he has almost 20 years’ experience working for world-class content studios.

He and his team have delivered landmark projects for the business including, the launch of CBeebies Land and CBeebies Land Hotel at Alton Towers, Blue Planet II in Concert, Planet Earth II in Concert, Doctor Who’s immersive production Time Fracture which has just launched in central London, and the Strictly Come Dancing Live Arena Tour.

He said: “I am thrilled to be joining the gaming and interactive business where there is already a deeply knowledgeable and passionate team in place. Both the live entertainment and gaming & interactive businesses provide really exciting opportunities to bring our brands to life and engage fans in new ways, and given the synergy between the two areas, I am looking forward to exploring new ways of working together too.”

BBC Studios expands consumer products division with double appointment

BBC Studios is expanding its consumer products division with the appointment of Louise Rigby and Gaby Dior as its new licensing managers, with a focus on expanding the programmes around Bluey, Hey Duggee, BBC Earth, and Doctor Who.

The pair will report to BBC Studios’ licensing director merchandise, partnerships, and interactive, Rikesh Desai. Rigby will manage UK deals while Dior will oversee the licensing operations and agent relationships across EMEA.

Desai said: “Louise and Gaby bring a wealth of experience and creativity from the brand and licensing world. They have worked with some of the most popular brands and I’m thrilled they’re joining us at an exciting time to provide our fans with more opportunities to interact with their beloved programmes and characters in new and exciting ways.”

Rigby joins from Fashion UK & Global Licensing with over 12 years’ experience working in the brand and licensing industry. She has worked with over 100 world renowned brand owners including LEGO, Disney, WB, Hasbro, Nickelodeon and PlayStation, and has led PR, marketing and account management for product areas including soft lines, accessories, footwear and health & beauty.

She said: “I’m so pleased to be joining BBC Studios at such an exciting time, when the consumer products team is supporting the success and significant growth of preschool properties like Hey Duggee and Bluey.

“I’ve also seen their dedication to supporting partners with sustainable, ethical and environmentally friendly manufacturing which is an amazing thing to be part of. I’m looking forward to working with our existing partners and building new relationships for potential future collaborations.”

Meanwhile, Dior has over 15 years’ experience working in licensing and consumer products and has previously managed licensing programmes across EMEA for leading international agency Wildbrain CPLG, and internationally for Zodiak Rights (now Banijay Rights).

She has worked on leading entertainment brands including The Simpsons, Sonic The Hedgehog, Sesame Street and most recently Brown & Friends, BT21, the Spin Master portfolio, Ghostbusters and the Sony Pictures Entertainment TV portfolio.

“I am thrilled to be joining the team at BBC Studios, home to the very best of British creative content,” she said. “Tapping into my experience across the European markets, I am looking forward to developing and growing the footprint of the licensing business for the new and award-winning preschool brand Bluey and the wider portfolio of existing and trusted brands across the EMEA region.”

The announcement follows a successful year for BBC Studios’ consumer products division which has secured an extensive catalogue of licensees in the UK to coincide with the launch of Emmy Award-winning pre-school series Bluey on CBeebies, new partnerships and renewed deals for Hey Duggee including its first confectionery product with Kinnerton, and successful BBC Earth branded product launches.

BBC Studios is looking to expand its brand footprint in both the UK and EMEA and they will lead key projects in 2021 and beyond.