Previously a consultant, Pindy has been appointed licensing & retail development director for key franchises, UK and Europe.

Walker Books has recently restructured its licensing operations; the Licensing and Merchandising department will now be part of the UK sales & marketing function led by Ed Ripley (sales & marketing Director).

As a result, Walker has appointed senior executive Pindy O’Brien in the newly created position of licensing & retail development director for key franchises, UK and Europe. Within the role, Pindy will be primarily responsible for building revenue streams within the Walker Group’s portfolio through developing, licensing, and marketing IP. Pindy will be working very closely with the books, sales & marketing teams to ensure key Walker brands are seen as a clear brand proposition in the marketplace. Pindy will also be involved in managing relationships with key producers, authors and all retailers.

Territorial responsibility will be UK and Europe. Rest of world sales will be shared and handled in close coordination with Walker’s North American licensing team, which is based at Candlewick Press. Pindy will be reporting to Ed Ripley on a day-to-day basis with a joint overall report to MD Karen Lotz and CFO Mike McGrath.

Prior to joining Walker Books full time, Pindy was consulting for three years. During her consultancy period Pindy worked with, among others, Love Productions (Great British Bake Off), Walker Books Limited and Raydar Media (SVP Global Brand Licensing & Retail) where she managed kids licensing as well as selling kids content to broadcasters globally. Previous positions include VP brand licensing & retail at Fremantle Media (11 years) and product marketing manager at BBC Worldwide (six years).

Ed Ripley said: “I am delighted that Pindy is joining the Walker team, and feel certain that her strategic approach coupled with her natural energy will drive growth in our licensing area.”

Karen Lotz said: “Pindy is fabulous to work with and has become a much valued member of our commercial team already. She combines keen acumen for the consumer marketplace and its growth opportunities as well as an instinctual understanding of and creative respect for our long-standing properties. We could not be in better hands at this exciting moment for our beloved Walker brands.”

Pindy will be at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, 4th-6th June, along with North American licensing director Mary McCagg, at Candlewick stand B114.