Milton, England-based licensing agency The Copyrights Group is set to boost its business in Britain with the addition of licenisng maven Peter Woodhead as managing director UK.

Woodhead was lured by Copyrights’ ‘very original stable of properties’ (which includes literary classics Peter Rabbit, Paddington Bear and Maisy, as well as brands such as TarePanda) and the fact that it’s a ‘solid and honest company with a good reputation in the U.K. industry as well as globally.’ And whereas his most recent post as Entertainment Rights’ head of international licensing was streamlined to one aspect of ER’s business, Woodhead will be fully involved in running Copyrights’ U.K. business – something he really wanted to get back to.

Woodhead has had his seasoned merch hand in programs for mega-brands ranging from Winnie the Pooh to Barbie and Fisher-Price over the course of his career, which has included stints as licensing director at Link Licensing and managing director of Disney Consumer Products UK. While Copyrights is known for its representation of classic book characters, Woodhead’s vision for the U.K. business will stretch to brands and entertainment properties. ‘This is a family-owned business, so we can be really open-minded about the things we take on,’ says Woodhead. ‘It doesn’t just have to be rabbits and bears.’

Woodhead’s appointment to the MD post brings about a title and focus change for Copyrights co-founder Nicholas Durbridge. Now chairman and CEO, Durbridge’s remit will include nurturing the agency’s global licensing strategy. With offices in Japan and Germany and a U.S. co-venture with United Media, 75% of Copyrights’ business is generated internationally, and Durbridge sees ‘significant opportunities for growth.’