MGA Entertainment (MGAE) has appointed Anne Gates as president. Gates joined MGAE in early 2014 and MGA says she has proven to be a strategic and creative leader for the company’s portfolio of family entertainment franchises. In her new role, Gates will oversee all of MGAE’s global businesses and operations.
“Having Anne Gates as president will allow me to innovate and work more closely with the MGAE team on a vision for an exciting future, while Anne handles the day-to-day operation of the business. Anne and I will work very closely together to take MGAE to new heights,” says Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment. “Her incredible determination and proven performance in systematically growing businesses, paired with her exceptional management and entertainment experience, will help position the company for continued growth and leadership in the toy and entertainment world.”
“I am honored and relish the opportunity to take on this new role to build on the strong foundation already established by Isaac Larian and the entire team,” says Anne Gates. “This is an exciting time to be at MGAE. We have a vast amount of innovative products and entertainment content coming down the pipeline. I look forward to driving growth in the years to come.”
Gates previously served as global executive vice president and chief financial officer of Disney Consumer Products, where she oversaw all business development, finance, IT, global franchise marketing and North American sales. Prior to that role, she was executive vice president and managing director at Disney Consumer Products—Europe, in London. Previously, she worked in various other divisions at The Walt Disney Company, including Disney Interactive. Prior to joining Disney, Gates worked for PepsiCo, Bear Stearns, and AT&T.