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)?
I was working at BMG Records in London, and we were the music licensee of The Muppets.  One of my favorite albums to work on was “Kermit: Unpigged.” Taking Miss Piggy on a promotional tour is a favorite memory. My licensor at The Muppets was Maura Regan, now President of Licensing International. That was a long time ago and we’ve been friends ever since.

What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
At Concord Theatricals, we represent over 10,000 plays and musicals written by some of the greatest authors and composers, both legacy and contemporary. We license their plays and musicals around the world to organizations such as elementary schools, high schools, churches, summer camps, community theaters, professional theaters, Broadway, and London’s West End.  I consider myself a problem solver, spending my day helping my great staff to deliver the best service to our customers while delivering Concord’s mission of “Championing Artists, Elevating Voices, and Impacting Culture.”

What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?
I was honored to join the small family-owned Rodgers & Hammerstein organization 20 years ago. I have been fortunate to work with the incredible songs and musicals by R&H all this time.  And it has been amazing to continue with the company as it was sold twice during my time and has grown to be the largest theatrical licensing agency in the world. I feel proud and fortunate to work here.

What are the most significant trends or changes that you’ve seen in the business in recent years?
Music and theater have continued to grow and impact the culture, touching more lives than ever. We have seen it flourish on television (Glee, Smash, The Voice) and in films (Wicked, Barbie). The ways that music and theater can be licensed has also continued to grow—keeping our jobs interesting every day.

What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
Protecting our clients’ work. It is getting easier and easier to use copyrighted material without permission. The rise of AI is a very tricky issue as it relates to copyrighted work. This is a challenging topic for us.

In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
To be a team player. We should all strive to have every deal be a win for all parties.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or what’s your favorite quote?
Negotiate a deal with someone for the first time so that they want to do a second deal with you!

What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
My favorite deal was to license the use of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s song “My Favorite Things” to Ariana Grande so she could create her worldwide hit “7 Rings.”

If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing now?
I am lucky to be an adjunct professor at LIM College, where I teach licensing. I love teaching the next generation of licensing professionals. If I didn’t work at Concord, I would teach full-time.

The last licensed product I bought was…
A Star Wars coffee table book.