Vice President, Brand Creation and Licensing

Wasserman is a global sports, entertainment, and lifestyle-marketing agency with expertise in creating connections between brands, properties, talent, and consumers. Today, Wasserman offers global expertise in Athlete Management, Marketing, and Media. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Wasserman also has offices in New York, Miami, Carlsbad, Raleigh, Portland, London, Toronto, Dubai, and Mexico City.

Job Purpose: Responsible for ideating, developing, and commercializing consumer facing brands on behalf of Wasserman’s sports and music clients—from product licensing to ground-up brand builds and beyond. This person will also provide advisory services to agents in relation to brand creation and licensing. The clientele includes athletes, coaches, and broadcasters across every major sport and artists in all music genres. Reports to COO at Wasserman Music and COO of Talent Representation. Candidate must generate revenue for the sports and music agency divisions from the creation of athlete and artist built brands, both individually and in aggregate. This includes the design and implementation of an annual business development strategic plan.

This position can sit in Los Angeles, New York, Raleigh, Portland, Toronto or Chicago.

Responsibilities:

• Set comprehensive goals for revenue performance and growth as it relates specifically to revenue generated for clients.
• Identify and create individual brand plans for key clients as identified by you and the agents. Brand plans will include brand positioning and support plans, commercial plans and operational plans.
• Build and direct the execution, tone, and vision of specific client consumer facing brands.
• Negotiate licensing agreements with appropriate top manufacturers in dedicated categories across client brand portfolios.
• Manage consumer product licensing business, partners and relationships with agents and retail partners.
• Develop expertise in each of the relevant license categories and act as the resource for these categories. This includes developing a thorough understanding of the product line and the market.
• Lead marketing initiatives around client brand and product launches such as media, digital, and trade shows.
• Proactively engage internal sales, communications, and creative teams to drive awareness of client brand and product launches.
• Monitor client brand performance and determine real-time areas of improvement.
• Guide agents in analyzing brand creation and licensing opportunities to determine the risks and benefits of particular strategies and opportunities.
• Oversee the creation of marketing materials to support the brand creation and licensing process for current clients.
• Implement best practices around Wasserman’s sales tracking tool as it relates to the division.
• Regularly updates leadership and agents on team’s activities and workstreams

Requirements

• Demonstrated knowledge of consumer product licensing, brand management/development and consumer/retail product marketing
• Proven experience as team leader and executive in marketing, sales, licensing, and branding
• Demonstrated track record of developing and executing on business plans and marketing/retail programs to drive consumer products revenue
• Experience and knowledge of licensing, product development and retail distribution particularly in retail, specialty and mass channels
• Experience negotiating licensed business relationships, including working with legal on contract negotiation and execution
• Must be analytical and creative
• Outstanding organizational and leadership abilities
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to speak naturally to talent, teams and executives alike
• Aptitude in decision-making and problem-solving
• BS/BA in marketing, business, or relevant field; MS/MBA is a plus
• Entrepreneurial approach with ability to be a team player on all levels of the organization
• Self-starter with the need and resolve to succeed in a highly competitive market
• Works well under pressure and in a fast paced environment
• Highly motivated with extensive skills in prospecting and developing new clients and leads
• Passion for sports, music, and business
• Experienced negotiator who understands nuances of bargaining situations; specifically understands when to push for the client’s interests or when to close the deal
• Advanced computer application skills
• Proven ability to interact with all types of people and demographics
• Displays indications of being loyal and trustworthy with the organization and clients
• Demonstrates project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities

Wasserman Media Group is committed to operating fair and unbiased recruitment procedures allowing all applicants an equal opportunity for employment, free from discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, color, ethnic or national origin or any other classification as may be protected by applicable law. We aim to recruit the right people for the jobs we have to offer, and to assess applications on the basis of relevant skills, education and experience.