Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), the merchandising and licensing arm of Cartoon Network, has appointed Ilissa Howard as director of North and South Asia CNE and Asia Pacific product development.

In her newly created position, Howard will be based in Hong Kong and report directly to Dulce Lim-Chen, VP of CNE Asia Pacific. She will be responsible for the overall CNE business in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, South Asia and Taiwan, and will spearhead Cartoon Network’s product development initiatives, working closely with the creative team on developing new portfolios for Cartoon Network Originals, acquisitions and regional properties.

Previously, Howard was the global brand director for Toys ‘R’ Us, and before that she held the position of global toys manager at Disney and Mattel/Fisher-Price.