Paramount alum Pam Kaufman has joined Gap in a newly minted EVP and chief entertainment officer role that’s all about expanding the apparel business into a full-blown entertainment company—and she’ll be looking for partners to support this push. 

Kaufman wrapped up a 30-year career at Paramount in December, exiting as president and CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences. During that long tenure, she built some of Paramount’s biggest kids franchises into a billion-dollar consumer products business that was generating more than US$7 billion in annual retail revenue at the time of her departure. 

In her new position, Kaufman will be responsible for bringing Gap into the world of film, TV, sports, gaming, consumer products and music partnerships. The retailer is prioritizing this shift as a way of “reinvigorating its brands [and broadening] how it engages audiences,” according to a release. 

Gap will put down physical roots in the entertainment market when it opens an LA-based office this spring. Kaufman plans to spend her time between LA, New York and San Francisco when she starts with the company on February 2, reporting to CEO Richard Dickson. 

It’s important to note that Dickson himself hails from the kids industry. He previously served as Mattel’s GM and SVP of the Barbie brand (2000 to 2010) and was later promoted to president and COO (2014 to 2023). In that role, he drove Mattel’s franchise strategy, expanding its IPs across TV, film, gaming and consumer products. He also had a hand in bringing Barbie to the big screen—where she was the biggest box-office hit of 2023—before leaving to join Gap that same year. 

Under his leadership, Gap has been experimenting with various content and brand partnerships, including a few that skew toward kids. Old Navy teamed up with Disney for the first time last year to co-create an apparel line for kids and adults featuring iconic Disney characters. It also collaborated with K-pop group KATSEYE, which has a strong kids following, for a denim marketing campaign. (The resulting “Better in Denim” video featuring the group went viral, generating more than 59 million views on YouTube). 

So far, these swings seem to be paying off for the clothing giant. Gap’s net sales were up 3% to US$3.9 billion in Q3 2025 (the latest data available), compared to the same quarter in 2024. 

Now Dickson wants to expand Gap into what he calls a “fashiontainment” company, and Kaufman will define and oversee the execution of this strategy.

“Fashion is entertainment, and today’s customers aren’t just buying apparel; they’re buying into brands that tell compelling stories and drive cultural conversations,” said Dickson in a release. “As we reinvigorate Gap’s house of iconic American brands to drive relevance and revenue, we recognize entertainment is a critical link to the consumer, one we can lean on to create fandoms, inspire movements and fuel sustained growth.” 

Kaufman’s experience in building “family-centric” brands that span entertainment and consumer products, in addition to her well-established relationships in those worlds, make her a natural fit for this role, according to Gap.

And as we know, kids love fashion—and content about it—so this seems like a natural move to reach more children and their families.

Image courtesy of Gap.