The global licensing community is powered by an incredible group of professionals whose diverse backgrounds and creative energy drive innovation and excellence. We profile one of these professionals each week, and in this special edition of the People Profile series we are introducing one of the 2024 Rising Stars Award recipients to shine a spotlight on their success.

How did you get into licensing (or how did licensing find you)?
I initially joined the BBC Studios marketing team based in Singapore but, when Covid hit, I had the opportunity to have one-on-one catchups with our General Manager of the Singapore office, Phil Hardman. And it was during one of these sessions that I brought up my interest in exploring commercial activities and how we can monetize content beyond its primary distribution.  A few months later, I was officially one half of a brand-new BBC Studios Consumer Products and Licensing team in Singapore, leading the commercializing of key IPs across Asia, including Bluey, BBC Earth, and Doctor Who.

What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
Most days starts with WIP meetings with my licensing team or the marketing and communications team to keep everyone up to speed with key projects across the various markets. The majority of my working day is then spent on coordination on offline brand activations, product development, and licensing deal negotiations. Any extra time on my hands would be spent on forward planning, mapping out the full schedule of projects over the next few months, and planning resources needed across each market.

What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?
As much as I find a lot of joy in seeing the activities for the brands I work on come to life, what gives me the biggest sense of accomplishment is seeing my fantastic team of marketing, communications, and licensing colleagues work so cohesively and effectively as a team on every project we take from ideation to reality! With the current team, nothing feels impossible, and every day in the office is just a lot of fun.

What are the most significant trends or changes that you’ve seen in the business in recent years?
Covid definitely brought a halt to numerous trends in the licensing industry, specifically location-based entertainment (LBE). However, LBE is such an integral part of the business and a key brand engagement tool, and it has become even bigger than it used to be as consumers continue to seek the most immersive and engaging LBE experiences available in the market.

What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
Big launches and activations, that’s for sure! Every time there is a new Bluey product launch or a new distribution in market, I would find it harder to fall asleep!

In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
Patience! Building a brand requires so much patience and, more often than not, people will feel inclined to rush headfirst into any opportunity presented. But it is important to recognize the importance of timing and avoiding opportunities that may be too premature for the brand in the market.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or what’s your favorite quote?
Whenever I encounter a situation where I am unable to find the right solution, I tend to go back to a practice that I call “weighting the scales.” In this process, I weigh the pros and cons towards the situation and the solutions available. Once I am done going through it once, I let it sit and repeat the cycle the next day, and sometimes the day after as well. It has certainly helped me in making more rational decisions. I’ve also come to realize through this practice that, when it comes to making business decisions, taking time to come up with a more measured response tends to draw better results than impromptu decisions that may be more emotionally charged.

What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
I have to give a quick shout-out to the upcoming Bluey’s World in Brisbane! It gives fans around the world an opportunity to immerse themselves into the world of Bluey and all the iconic sets and scenes.

If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing now?
I came from a marketing background, so definitely something marketing related.

The last licensed product I bought was…
A few Sanrio Gachapons for my partner on my recent work trip in Tokyo. Really cute!

What does it mean to you to be named a Rising Star?
It means a lot to me to be recognized for my work so far. However, I remain relatively new to the industry, so there remains so much room for me to learn and grow!

The Rising Star Awards recognize the next generation of leaders around the world for their commitment, passion, and contributions to their company and the licensing industry. This year’s Rising Stars were recognized and celebrated at the Hall of Fame Gala Luncheon in New York City on December 4th, 2024.