KEYLINE LEADER

Sariah D Smalley
Keyline President

……“We formed Keyline to offer our clients and partners support by means of our past and ongoing knowledge and experience of the worldwide licensing market and the UK retail industry”..

More about Sariah’s experiences in Licensing


ITEL /United News & Media Plc- December 1999 to June 2001

Position: Head of Licensing –Worldwide

ITEL was responsible for the distribution and sale of the group’s TV programmes in all formats on a worldwide basis, including the USA.
The company invested funds and took equity positions in leading UK Independent Producer’s programmes to ensure product flow of new content to exploit. A prime example of this was ITEL’s ownership of Cosgrove Hall Films Ltd, one of the UK’s leading animation studios.
My role was to establish the new in-house licensing division.
Initially, I assessed the existing portfolio of properties and thereafter all new properties created by ITEL’s existing or new providers for revenue streams outside of TV sale.


Key Achievements
• Creation of a fully costed Strategic three-year licensing business plan presented and approved by United News & Media Plc.
• Promotion of the division at “Licensing International, New York” and “Brand Licensing, London”
• Re-positioning of The Cosgrove Hall Film project “Porter and Daughter” into its final format as “Engie Benjy”
• Implementation of the full UK and international licensing programme for “Fetch the Vet”
• Appointment of International Agents.
• Revenue generation through licensing agreements across all categories including publishing


Link Entertainment Group Ltd*- April 1995-November 1999

Director of International Licensing

Link, an established entertainment company; represented the UK licensing rights to Mattel’s “Barbie” along with a number of other properties and brands.
*(Entertainment Rights Plc purchased the Link Group in 2002).

• Responsible for a team of 7 UK based Link personnel
• Specifically responsible for the publishing category-all formats all properties- Attendance at London, Bologna and Frankfurt Book Fairs
• Appointment and management of the International Licensing Agents
• Strategic planning and full implementation of licensing programmes for properties such as Goosebumps, Animorphs, Little Grey Rabbit, The Forgotten Toys and Natural History Museum

• Profit Responsibility for the budgeted sales targets for those specific licensing programmes

• Responsible for all FMCG and third party retail promotions


MCA Merchandising Limited- January 1993-March 1995
UK Licensing Manager

This London based subsidiary was responsible for the worldwide (ex USA) licensing of all Universal Studios film and TV properties
The movies from the Studio dominated the product flow with blockbuster films such as Jurassic Park, ET, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Blues Brothers, Beethoven and Casper along with the extensive film and TV back catalogue



Key Achievements
• The licensing and promotional programme in the UK for the first Jurassic Park movie was major industry and consumer success. This included leading high street retailers taking licenses for the property in new product areas
• On pack promotions including Beethoven The Movie with a leading brand tinned dog food product
• In concert with CIC (MCA Universal/ Paramount Pictures) Promotion of the Star Trek licensing strategy to key licensees, working closely with CIC Video, the Star Trek video distributors




Marks and Spencer Plc- 1984-1992

Senior Food Selector (Buyer) -Head Office
Grocery Division

Specialised in the sectors of confectionery, biscuits, grocery and soft drinks.

St Michael own label - Product development was “from concept to counter” and included packaging design and in-store product marketing.

Introduction of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles product into the confectionery catalogue. This was the first licensed product to be developed and  launched in the Marks and Spencer confectionery department.