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)?
Licensing found me when a friend who had licensed a brand that was getting strong traction at retail approached me for help. The brand needed to find licensees in other product categories, so I tapped into my network of manufacturer contacts and was able to secure eight new licensees for the brand within six months. This early success is what truly kindled my passion for licensing and launched me down this path.

What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
A typical day involves managing and strategizing with my team on brand launch strategy, coordinating outreach to potential and current licensees, overseeing deal flow, and guiding marketing initiatives to support our brands.

What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment is being a grandfather to five beautiful grandchildren who bring me a kind of joy and fulfillment that words truly cannot capture. In all honesty, it is my wife, my sons, and my daughters-in-law who deserve the bulk of the credit for creating such a loving and supportive family.

What are the most significant trends or changes that you’ve seen in the business in recent years?
Two big changes really stand out in licensing today. First, AI has made the whole process incredibly more efficient—things like contract drafting, risk analysis, and market research now take hours instead of days, which gives teams more time to focus on creative deals and big-picture strategy. The second is the huge impact of celebrity and influencer partnerships. Big budgets have moved toward measurable, performance-driven campaigns where stars and influencers help push products directly to consumers through digital platforms. One of the pioneers to introduce celebrity/influencer marketing was ABS by Allen Schwartz®, which I own. The brand was ahead of its time in getting major celebrities to wear their clothes. A more current example is our Cool Brands partnership with Vanessa Hudgens in the 0- to 8-year-old brand A Star Is Born™, which we launched at the 2025 Licensing Expo. As a new mom whose demographics perfectly aligns with today’s new parents, she is the perfect partner for A Star Is Born™.

What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
Getting a meeting with retail execs to pitch new brands and licensing concepts always feels like an uphill battle. They’re busy, often buried under layers of management, and—truthfully—a lot of buyers aren’t proactive when it comes to discovering fresh ideas. Most aren’t going out of their way to hunt down new products; if you don’t bring it to them directly, your pitch just sits on the sidelines waiting for attention. That means a lot of great concepts never get the timely feedback they deserve, and exciting launches can get delayed or lost entirely.

In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
It’s definitely patience and perseverance. Licensing deals don’t happen overnight—they take time, follow-up, and a lot of persistence. You also have to have a good sense of what’s actually going to work in the marketplace, separating the great ideas from the ones that might not fly commercially. Beyond that, being able to build strong relationships and having a solid grasp of the legal and marketing side of things will help you navigate the ups and downs and keep things moving forward.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or what’s your favorite quote?
“Integrity in business builds lasting trust.” I’ve worked with all kinds of people over the years—some easygoing, others more challenging—but no matter the situation, you have to hold onto your integrity. It’s what keeps your reputation intact and your partnerships strong. People notice when you’re honest and consistent, even when it’s not the easiest route. That foundation of trust is what allows long-term relationships to thrive, and I try to live by that every day.

What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
A licensing deal that stands out is Kering’s recent sale of its beauty business to L’Oréal for €4 billion, which includes a 50-year exclusive licensing agreement for fragrance and beauty products for brands like Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga. L’Oréal will develop and grow these beauty lines with its expertise and, after 50 years, the rights will return to Kering—ideally with strong, well-established businesses in place. This lets Kering focus on its core fashion brands while preserving the option to re-enter the beauty market later. The deal highlights the power of iconic brands to create long-lasting value across categories with smart partnerships.​

If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing now?
Given my strong grasp of numbers and extensive contacts across industries, I’d probably be heading up sales or business development for a global fashion conglomerate or an investment bank. Working at the intersection of strategy, relationships, and numbers has always been a strength of mine.

The last licensed product I bought was…
A pair of Tom Ford sunglasses. What’s impressive is how the brand manages to maintain and even elevate its integrity through licensing. Kudos to Tom Ford and Marcolin on the flawless execution.