In a move that’s sure to raise some eyebrows in the Euro licensing industry, London-based 4Kids Entertainment International has appointed Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, Stephen Gould and Olivia Mellett to the post of co-MD. The trio is splitting responsibility for overall management of the company, with Vauthier-Cellier concentrating on activities in the European market, while Gould focuses on UK licensing ops and property acquisitions. Mellett, meanwhile, is taking care of the company’s financial and legal operations.

Vauthier-Cellier joined 4Kids in January 2005 and has since worked on marketing and licensing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Yu-Gi-Oh! in continental Europe. Prior to joining the company, she was The Beanstalk Group’s regional marketing manager for southern Europe. And Gould has been with 4Kids since 2004, developing UK licensing programs for properties such as TMNT and Viva Piñata. Before joining the company he served as MD at UK-based consultancy Kids Industries.

Mellett came to the company in 2004 from the post of financial controller for Clear Channel Entertainment UK.