Magic Light announces the promotion of Daryl Shute to Brand Director and the appointment of Muriel Thomas as the Head of International Distribution.
Magic Light Pictures, the company behind the global film and licensing success of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, has made two key appointments to further strengthen its position as one of the UK’s leading brand-building companies. Daryl Shute has been promoted to Brand Director in recognition of his success in overseeing the marketing and merchandising of Magic Light Pictures’ flagship brands, while Muriel Thomas has been brought on board in the newly-created role of Head of International Distribution.
Shute joined Magic Light Pictures in 2006, and has been instrumental in building the successful cross-category merchandising programmes for The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. In his new position, he will head up the company’s merchandising programmes both in the UK and internationally, as well as develop new creative and licensing opportunities. He will also be responsible for brand marketing and management, working closely with all of Magic Light Pictures’ partners - including Macmillan Childrens Books, TLC and Entertainment One.
Thomas has been consulting with the company since leaving Entertainment One UK in 2011, where she was Head of International Sales and Co-production. Her new role will see her take responsibility for international distribution, licensing the rights of Magic Light Pictures productions across all audio visual formats and developing new business opportunities.
Michael Rose, Co-founder, Magic Light Pictures, says “Magic Light Pictures is continuing to develop and key to this is having a talented team with the right expertise. Daryl has been an integral part of Magic Light Pictures for a number of years, helping to grow The Gruffalo brand with passion and creativity; his promotion to Brand Director comes as we look to develop and expand our slate of family brands in the future. We’re delighted that Muriel is joining us , bringing her in-depth experience and knowledge of the international marketplace which is invaluable in ensuring that our work reaches audiences worldwide .”
Daryl Shute, Brand Director, Magic Light Pictures, says “It has been very rewarding to be a part of building The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom and I look forward to continuing that growth, creating unique licensing opportunities for the brand and expanding our key international markets. This is an exciting time for Magic Light Pictures and I’m delighted to be helping steer the company forwards in this new role..”
Muriel Thomas, Head of International Distribution, Magic Light Pictures, adds “The opportunity to work with fantastic brands such as The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom was a massive draw for me, as well as the opportunity to work with the team at Magic Light Pictures. I’m looking forward to growing these and other properties internationally across all formats.”
Source: Magic Light Pictures
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
