WildBrain Ltd. announced senior leadership changes and a streamlined business structure under a focused strategy designed to optimize its existing 360° IP management expertise and drive the growth of key WildBrain and partner franchises across its core capabilities of Content Creation, Audience Engagement and Global Licensing. Content Creation integrates all of WildBrain's development and production capabilities, including its Vancouver animation studio, its London-based digital studio (formerly the WildBrain Spark digital studio) and its Toronto animation pre-production business, House of Cool, bringing creative excellence across all formats for WildBrain's proprietary content as well as partner projects. Stephanie Betts has been appointed Executive Vice President, Content Creation, reporting to Scherba, and will oversee creative teams behind WildBrain's content in an expanded role that builds on her longstanding leadership of the Company's development and production business.

WildBrain's digital studio in London will now report to Betts while working closely with the Company's creative teams to maximize opportunities for its owned and partner IP. Audience Engagement integrates WildBrain's extensive capabilities in delivering entertainment content to audiences around the world, including its global distribution business, its world-leading YouTube network, its digital marketing expertise and its digital advertising business. Kate Smith has been appointed Executive Vice President, Audience Engagement, and will oversee all aspects of WildBrain's content distribution, its YouTube network operations and its digital marketing, reporting to Scherba.

Based in London, Smith brings a valuable understanding of how the intersection between content distribution and digital marketing can supercharge brand awareness and engagement, having previously served for eight years as a key member of the management team behind the Company's world-leading YouTube business, spearheading its activities across marketing, research and insights. The Company's Canadian TV business continues to function as a separate business unit reporting to Scherba. Global Licensing includes the activities of WildBrain's leading licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG; the Company's franchise management activities for key owned brands, including Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake; the management of key third-party IP partnerships; and its interest in the Peanuts brand, operated by the Peanuts Worldwide subsidiary.

Maarten Weck has been appointed EVP, Global Partnerships and Licensing, and will spearhead oversight of key global IP partnerships with third-party partners across the entire WildBrain ecosystem, and he will also continue to oversee all activities of WildBrain CPLG. Tim Erickson will continue to oversee the Peanuts Worldwide business as EVP, Brand at Peanuts Worldwide. Both Weck and Erickson continue to report to Scherba.

As part of the realignment to fully harness our 360° capabilities, the Company has integrated the business and creative activities of its London-based digital studio under Content Creation, to become part of WildBrain Studios, and has also integrated the business and operations of its YouTube network under Audience Engagement, as part of its overall distribution and digital marketing business. These capabilities will now function under the overall WildBrain brand without the "Spark" sub-brand. Additionally, Deirdre Brennan, Chief Operating Officer, has departed WildBrain to pursue other opportunities.

WildBrain would like to thank Brennan for her years of devoted and passionate service to the Company and for the leadership expertise she has provided, especially in our television, distribution and YouTube businesses.