MGA Entertainment Inc. (MGAE) appointed Ratna Kirpal to vice president of global licensing.
Kirpal will be responsible for the strategic development and growth of MGAE’s portfolio offering, and will report directly to its CEO and founder, Isaac Larian. She will collaborate with partners both cross-divisionally and externally, focusing on new category growth and initiatives in retail, promotions, and experiences, to grow the business.
“Ratna will be an essential asset to the MGAE executive team as we continue to drive innovation and originality among the toy industry,” says Larian. “Our licensing division is experiencing incredible growth with several key MGAE brands, including L.O.L. Surprise!, Poopsie Surprise, Little Tikes, and more; and I’m confident with Ratna’s background our licensing group will deliver exciting products to retail that will continue to grow brand affinity among our customers.”
For the past 14 years, Kirpal served as vice president, global brand management and licensing at The Walt Disney Co. In that role, she drove the success of many key licensing initiatives for properties across the Disney and Pixar Animation Studios portfolio, including Frozen, Cars, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Toy Story, and more.
“MGAE is delivering ground-breaking IP that has essentially shaken up the toy industry and retailer aisles,” says Kirpal.“While only days into my new position, I have already initiated an ‘open for business’ approach that includes collaborating with our existing licensees to deliver smart, creative and original licensing programs. For new licensees, I’m excited to move forward quickly to help further support MGAE’s growth and show ‘what’s next’ for MGAE licensing.”
