UK-based indie prodco Shine Group has appointed former News International, HIT Entertainment and Chorion exec Lori Heiss to the newly-created position of global brand manager.

Starting on January 4, 2011, Heiss will be responsible for the ongoing global strategy for international Shine Group-owned brands. She will particularly focus on the MasterChef brand. She will report to Shine Group president Alex Mahon and work closely with the commercial team in each territory across the the company.

Previously senior director of International Marketing at HIT Entertainment, Heiss headed up marketing and brand strategy for territories including the UK, EMEA, Asia and Australia oversaw brand strategies for preschool brands including Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder and Barney. Prior to that, she was head of Marketing, PR and Product Development at Chorion which she joined from Ragdoll where she worked on properties including Teletubbies and In the Night Garden.

Most recently, Heiss headed entertainment, retail and publishing partnerships at News International since July 2009, where her responsibilities included indentifying and negotiating strategic third party partnerships from fashion to live entertainment as well as managing branded publishing lines featuring The Times’ market-leading Sudoku and Crossword series.