Former Disney digital strategist and development expert to help drive next phase of WildBrain’s growth
London, UK – 23 May 2019 – WildBrain, a leading digital kids’ network and studio, is pleased to announce that Elia Bouthors has been appointed to the position of Strategy and Innovation Director, effective immediately. In this newly created role, Mr. Bouthors will lead a team tasked with identifying and piloting new ways to engage WildBrain’s 300 million quarterly users and build and monetise brands across the WildBrain network. Mr. Bouthors reports to Jon Gisby, Managing Director of WildBrain.
Mr. Bouthors brings extensive knowledge and experience in kids’ content, digital and technology business strategy, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). He most recently spent four years as Digital Strategy & Business Development Director at The Walt Disney Company, where he was responsible for identifying, developing and executing growth strategies for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Before Disney, he was Strategy Manager with the BBC, supporting the group’s global and commercial development efforts, and prior to that he worked on the development and financing of a number of media projects, and in M&A with the investment banks Jeffries & Company and UBS. He holds an MSc. in Management from ESSEC Business School and an MA in Production from the NFTS. Mr. Bouthors’ appointment further strengthens the senior leadership team at WildBrain, following the recently announced appointment of Rachel Taylor, as Commercial Director.
Elia Bouthors
“Elia’s arrival comes at a pivotal time for WildBrain as we explore new ways to engage our global audience with the content and brands they love,” said Mr. Gisby. “His team will pioneer new ways for content to be discovered across our network, and identify collaborations with IP owners to grow new audiences and revenue. Elia’s background combines strategy and corporate finance with experience in both start-ups and studios, and he’s passionate about kids’ content, making him a perfect fit for WildBrain.”
“I am thrilled to be joining the WildBrain team to help write the company’s next chapter of development,” said Mr. Bouthors. “This is a very exciting time for the media industry and WildBrain has done an amazing job at building creative and distribution expertise to thrive in a highly disrupted space. With such great brands, talent and agility, WildBrain has tremendous potential for innovation and growth, and I look forward to working with the team to bring content and experiences that kids around the world will love.”
For more information, please contact:
Trade Media: Aimee Norman at DDA Blueprint PR
aimee@ddablueprint.com
+44 (0) 20 7932 9800
About WildBrain
WildBrain is an industry leader in the management and creation of preschool and children’s entertainment content on platforms such as YouTube, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and others. WildBrain’s branded YouTube network is one of the largest of its kind, featuring more than 145,000 videos for over 600 kids’ brands in up to 22 languages. One in three kids worldwide with access to YouTube watch video on the WildBrain network, which has over 75 million subscribers, and generated over 161 billion minutes of watch time across 32 billion views in 2018. Connecting kids’ content owners with advertisers in the Advertising Video-on-Demand (AVOD) space, the WildBrain network features popular third-party brands such as Fireman Sam, Woody Woodpecker, Popeye, Shopkins, Irish Fairy Doors and Ben 10; original brands Kiddyzuzaa and Ellie Sparkles; and much of DHX Media’s world-renowned library of 13,000 half-hours of kids’ and family content, including Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, Degrassi, Yo Gabba Gabba! and many others. WildBrain Studios also specializes in the creation of new, original content for its network, such as animated and live-action shorts; toy-play and stop-motion videos. WildBrain is a wholly owned subsidiary of DHX Media (TSX: DHX; NASDAQ: DHXM).
Twitter & Instagram: @WildBrainKids