Behind the brands.

Get to know Marianne James , SVP Licensing, Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro!

The role. 

I lead Global Merchandise for Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro, which means finding opportunities to extract value from our franchise IP across multiple categories – so consumers can enjoy their favourite brands in as many iterations as possible.  

The best part of the job. 

People! I am fortunate to be in a global role, which affords me the opportunity to forge life-long relationships with wonderful people: team members, partners, licensees, retailers; I get energy from these inspirational people all over the world.  

A team with heart. 

My team is special. There’s an inherent sense of all-in support, manifested through integrity in how we work together, communicate, and practice our business with heart, empathy, and a winning focus. I try to inspire my team to be agile, to learn, and to push into new ways of working so that we can succeed together. 

Go for it.  

Some of the best advice I’ve received is: don’t be afraid to take on risks and challenges. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be intimidating, but it’s the most valuable way to learn and grow – both professionally and personally.  

Make time for play. 

My two little boys keep me busy when I’m not at work – and they keep the inner child in me well and truly thriving! 

What’s next... 

Now that I’m in a global role, I’m looking forward to visiting local markets to spend time with key licensees and retailers in person, lean into the market dynamics, and continue refining our global merchandise vision and strategy. I’m also very excited about scaling LITTLEST PET SHOP and FURBY into multi-category licensing programmes, following the lead of the new LITTLEST PET SHOP toys from our partners at Basic Fun! , the success of FURBY and Furblets, and more recently our FURBY x Cakeworthy halo partnership. Lots to look forward to! 

Say Hi to Marianne at next week's Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, at Hasbro's booth #G170.