Alliance Atlantis (Toronto, Canada, 416-967-1174): Jennifer Bennett has been promoted from director to VP of licensing and merchandising for TV properties, including those under the company’s children’s label AAC Kids.

Best Buy (Eden Prairie, Minnesota, 612-947-2000): After 16 years at the company, Allen Lenzmeier has been promoted from executive VP and CFO to president of Best Buy retail stores. Other promotions include moving Mike London from senior VP to executive VP and general merchandise manager.

Cartoon Network Italy (Rome, Italy, 39-06-4938-9569): Simona Fabbri, a former asset manager at Disney Channel Italy, has joined Cartoon Net in the newly created position of director of content. As such, she will be responsible for scheduling, programming, domestic acquisition and web content.

Chorion (London, England, 44-207-434-1880): Jackie Lynch makes the jump from BBC Worldwide to join Chorion as head of media, responsible for TV, film and stage events licensing. At the Beeb, Lynch served as licensing and merchandising manager for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.

Entertainment Rights (London, England, 44-208-762-6200): Jane Smith, a founder of HIT Entertainment and managing director at Entertainment Rights, has been appointed to the company’s board of directors.

Fox Family Worldwide (Los Angeles, California, 310-235-9600): Jennifer Dingwall has been promoted from senior director to VP of domestic sales.

Fox Kids Network (Los Angeles, California, 310-235-9600): Kathleen Cecil has been promoted to VP of marketing and station relations from executive director of station relations and promotions. Kathy Abbott has been upped from director of production and administration to VP of production and administration, on-air promotion.

Gullane Entertainment (Southampton, England, 44-170-333-1661): As part of an ongoing global expansion effort, the company has named Jennie Saul VP and group head of live events, responsible for establishing and overseeing Gullane’s live theatrical show biz worldwide. Saul will expand the current roster of Thomas events-including the Day Out With Thomas tour in the U.S. and the U.K.-as well as increasing the company’s theme park activity internationally.

Igel Media (Hamburg, Germany, 49-40-3068-9620): Formerly managing director of the company’s subsidiary office in London, Edward Galton has been appointed to the management board as COO. In his new position, Galton will help solidify Igel’s relationship with existing content providers, while ensuring a consistent supply of new content and expanding distribution in new media.

The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company (New York, New York, 212-989-3660): Lucio Bernal has been upped from associate manager of acquisitions to acquisitions manager. He will be charged with picking up and developing new entertainment properties, including features and live action and animated TV fare.

Knowledge Adventure (Torrance, California, 310-793-0600): Stephen Farr-Jones has been appointed VP of marketing and business development. The company develops and publishes kids multimedia software, including popular lines like Barbie and Fisher-Price.

The Licensing Company (London, England, 44-207-631-1200): Lisa Shapiro has been promoted from director of entertainment licensing to managing director of the entertainment division. Shapiro is currently developing programs for Lord of the Rings and Blue’s Clues.

Nelvana (Toronto, Canada, 416-588-5571): Sherry Young has been appointed director of North American licensing and will oversee licensing activities and programs in areas including infants and juvenile merchandising. Young was formerly senior account executive at YTV Canada.

Nickelodeon International (New York, New York, 212-258-8000): Rebecca Barrs has been upped from director to VP of Nickelodeon international marketing, and she will supervise the plans for Nick’s key international franchises including Rugrats, Blue’s Clues and upcoming property Jimmy Neutron.

PBS (Alexandria, Virginia, 703-739-5000): Judy Harris has been named executive VP of PBS businesses. Harris will oversee all of the public broadcaster’s content-related, ancillary enterprises, including licensing and merchandising and corporate sponsorship. Harris was most recently senior VP and GM of consumer and educational products for Discovery Communications.

Pixar Animation Studios (Emeryville, California, 510-752-3000): Studio co-founder Ed Catmull has been named Pixar president after serving on the company’s executive team since incorporation in 1986, most recently as chief technology officer. The studio is currently working on CGI family film Monsters, Inc. for a November release.

Signatures Network (San Francisco, California, 415-247-7400): Chris Guirlinger has joined as director of licensing and marketing and will manage categories like apparel, accessories and back-to-school items for exclusive clients such as Britney Spears, Aaron Carter, Jennifer Simpson, LFO and O-Town.

Sony Pictures Consumer Products (Culver City, California, 310-244-7788): Michael Peikoff moves from VP of licensee business development to senior VP of marketing and client relations.

TDK Mediactive (Calabasas, California, 818-878-0505): Stefan Serwe has taken the position VP of global marketing, transferring from the company’s European offices after overseeing the marketing side of Sound Source Interactive’s integration into TDK.

THQ (Calabasas Hills, California, 818-871-5000): Danielle Conte has joined as product marketing manager on Nickelodeon properties Jimmy Neutron, Rocket Power and SpongeBob SquarePants. Conte previously served as marketing manager in the family entertainment division of Warner Home Video, working on such video/DVD releases as Pokemon: The Movie 2000 and Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

TV-Loonland (Munich, Germany, 49-89-2050-8100): As part of the strategic expansion of its London office, Celia Holman has been appointed head of development. She will oversee the development of all TV-Loonland’s European-based programming, as well as maintaining contact with independent producers, children’s publishers and rights holders. Most recently, Holman worked as project development manager for Network of the World, where she identified possible children’s content partners for fully-converged TV and web environments.

Walt Disney Television International Asia Pacific (Hong Kong, 85-2-2203-2000): James Gilbey has been promoted from creative director to VP of programming, production and creative for Asia Pacific. Based out of Hong Kong, Gilbey will now manage scheduling, as well as on-air and network program development. And Steve Macallister has been appointed to VP and regional head of sales, responsible for television distribution in the Asia-Pacific region. Macallister was formerly TV sales director for the U.K., Ireland, Scandinavia, Benelux and the Middle East.

Warner Bros. Pictures (Burbank, California, 818-954-6000): Lorenzo di Bonaventura extends his 11-year career at Warner Bros. by signing a new long-term contract as president of worldwide production. He will continue to be responsible for overseeing the development, creative production and acquisition of all feature films worldwide.

Will Vinton Studios (Portland, Oregon, 310-301-1785): Jeffrey Auerbach, an Emmy Award-winning producer/writer and entertainment executive, has been named president of the entertainment division.