(New York, NY, October 27, 2010)  Sesame Workshop, the producers behind Sesame Street, has promoted Maura Regan to Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Consumer Products, reporting to Sherrie Westin, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Regan will oversee global retail business across all major categories of licensed goods including toys, packaged goods, apparel, home furnishings, stationery and gifts. Jessica Giat has been named Vice President of Licensing, Partner Relations, reporting into Regan. Regan’s division, in large part, funds the nonprofit work of the organization which is dedicated to helping kids reach their highest potential.
“As a nonprofit organization, our global licensing effort represents our most significant source of unrestricted revenue and is critical in promoting the resources to support our mission,” said Westin. “Maura has done an excellent job in maximizing existing business and identifying new ones through a careful and thoughtful analysis of product mix, sales, and industry trends. Jessica’s experience in brand development, marketing, and partner relations will be a great asset in our new partnership with Hasbro.”
Before being promoted to Senior Vice President, Regan served as Vice President and General Manger, Global Consumer Products. Prior to that, she was Vice President, International Licensing and New Business Development, responsible for the international product licensing business. In this capacity, Regan oversaw new business development for such brands as Sesame Street and Dragon Tales, as well as the Workshop’s theme park initiatives. She expanded licensing activities and developed new business initiatives for Greater China and Japan.
Prior to joining the Workshop in 1999, Regan was Director, International Licensing, at Scholastic Entertainment and Director, International Licensing, at MTV Networks. Regan is a fellow of the US Japan Foundation Leadership program and earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Art History from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
As Vice President of Licensing, Partner Relations, Giat will be responsible for managing Sesame Workshop’ master toy licensee—coordinating activities on a world-wide basis, analyzing activities by territory and monitoring the overall account with a global perceptive. She will also work closely with the Education and Research team to ensure that the educational goals of the Workshop are factored into the development process.
Prior to joining Sesame Workshop, from 2003-2010, Giat ran the licensing and brand management company You, Me and the Lamppost, where she provided expertise to brand owners and manufacturers. The licensor consulting work included marketing and strategic planning, prospecting and contract negotiation, while the manufacturing consultation included master license negotiation, new product development, and program launch management. From 2000-2002, Giat was Global Director of Consumer Products, Licensing and Branding at Penguin Putnam Division for Young Readers, where she staffed and managed the children’s consumer products team. She has also held positions at Nickelodeon/MTV Networks, Lowe Direct/Lowe and Partners SMS, and Wunderman Cato Johnson/Young Rubicam.
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children’s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in over 140 countries, and other acclaimed shows to help bridge the literacy gap including The Electric Company. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at
www.sesameworkshop.org.