The global licensing community is powered by an incredible group of professionals whose diverse backgrounds and creative energy drive innovation and excellence. Each week we profile one of these professionals in this ongoing series.

How did you get into licensing (or how did licensing find you)?
It was a happy accident! I was working in the fashion industry and looking to do something different that still utilized my skills. I happened upon a role at Disney Consumer Products in Visual Merchandising & Ops and made the move. I had been a huge Disney fan all my life, and it was so exciting to be part of such a powerhouse. From that role, I moved to the division at Disney that was tasked with launching a fashion line for the Jonas Brothers. It was a very exciting opportunity to work with a talented group of young men to bring their vision to life. I feel so lucky that I found this wonderful industry, where I get to do what I love every day.

What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
I run Softlines and Collaborations for all of Sony Pictures Film, TV, PlayStation, Kids, and PlayStation Productions. Between all those divisions, there is never a typical day or a dull moment. Having been at Sony for so long (this month marks 10 years!), I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to widen my scope and cover many other categories, from F&B to licensed experiences. I build targeted and unique programs for such a diverse slate of IPs that have varied release windows, platforms, and demos. For example, at any given time I could be working on a slate as diverse as Ghostbusters, The Boys, Cobra Kai, The Last of Us, and Paddington. It’s the exciting part of what I do.

What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?
When I joined the Sony team 10 years ago, we did not have a dedicated licensed collaboration side of our business where we activated on collabs regularly. I brought the idea of a Ghostbusters collab program for the 30th anniversary of the classic film, and we did a huge campaign with Nas, which we launched at Ron Herman in Beverly Hills and then colette in Paris, just before colette closed. It was such a fun project and to be a part of fashion history at colette is something I’ll always be grateful for. Since then, I have been running collaborations at Sony, launching many exciting programs from Liberty and Hunter Boots for Peter Rabbit to Champion and Vans for Cobra Kai.

Personally, my biggest achievement has been raising my incredible daughter and watching her grow into the wonderful little girl that she is. Nothing can top that.

What are the most significant trends or changes that you’ve seen in the business in recent years?
Retail and consumer behavior from shopping brick-and-mortar to an emphasis on eCommerce. I recall some time ago, eCommerce was an afterthought and not really where you wanted to be. Now, having that presence is critical and it’s a great place where you can test, get designs out that don’t find a home at traditional retail, and get POD merch out quickly to impact your business when you have short lead times.

What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
Probably the unpredictability of the licensing landscape. It’s both exciting and scary! It used to be easier to spot trends, and plan out further. Now, the next hot thing can come quickly and be gone just as fast, so the key is being able to jump on it and to be able to also know whether something has lasting power or if it’s here today and gone tomorrow. And from there, being able to act on it to impact our business. Outside of this, global warming is pretty darn scary and keeps me up quite a bit!

In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
To be open minded and creative. The best deals I have done, or seen out there, have come from out-of-the-box thinking and being open to trying something new. There is so much licensed merch in the market, I believe this way of working is how the best programs come to life.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or what’s your favorite quote?
I had a boss once tell me that if I was okay with change, I’d thrive in the industry. Many years later, this advice couldn’t hold more true with such a changing landscape between platforms, retail, studios, and consumer behavior. It’s an ever-evolving business, and we have to learn to adapt and be nimble. Change can be scary, but it can also be exciting and fresh if you learn to become comfortable with it.

What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
Other than the Nas x Ghostbusters program I mentioned previously, one that’s near and dear to my heart is the Men in Black and Paul Smith collection that we did. We worked with legendary British designer Paul Smith, best known for his impeccable suiting and tailoring, on a collection for the new MIB movie. He created custom suits for our leads that they wore in the film, and those pieces were translated into a high-end collection at retail. I wrapped that deal literally days before I delivered my kid—it was definitely a race against the clock, but we got it done!

If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing now?
I would probably be doing more rescue work with animals, but then I think I’d probably be bringing a bunch of foster dogs home as a result!

The last licensed product I bought was…
A bunch of Hello Kitty BTS things for my 5-year-old daughter! That and Disney Princess merch all day, every day.