Exclusive: BKD Appoints Andy Friess as New CEO and Head of Marketing and Licensing

Hong Kong-based Bright Kingdom Development (BKD) appointed Andy Friess as the company’s new CEO and senior vice president of marketing and licensing. The company produces lights-and-sounds toys across a variety of categories.

The former president and senior vice president of global marketing at Toy State assumes the role previously held by BKD founder and current chairman, KS Cheng. Friess takes the lead in overseeing all global operations, including BKD’s strategic growth plan and retail development. He is also directing the company’s product marketing and licensing programs, along with the expansion of BKD’s digital marketing platforms.

“Andy brings strong leadership and valuable toy industry experience to our company with a proven track record of success in business development and leading high-performing teams,” says Cheng. “We share a common vision for the growth and expansion of BKD, and I’m excited to work with Andy to make these goals reality.”

Cheng is focusing on further strengthening the company’s global supply chain through the management of new and existing strategic alliances.

Friess launched his marketing and licensing consulting firm, Friess Marketing Group (FMG), in 2018.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.