Boat Rocker’s kids & family team appoints Nelvana’s former head of production 

Vanessa Esteves (pictured) has joined Boat Rocker Studios as a senior director of creative affairs for its kids & family division. Based in Toronto, she’ll work across creative development, pre-sales, current series and production of the studio’s original animation slate. Esteves reports to Gia Delaney, SVP of global sales & content for kids & family. Esteves was previously head of production and creative supervising producer for development at Nelvana, where she shepherded series such as Max & Ruby, Thomas & Friends and Ranger Rob. 

Build-A-Bear Workshop sets a new CEO

As Build-A-Bear’s longtime CEO Sharon Price John prepares to step down from the role on June 11, the company has unveiled her successor: Chris Hurt, the chief operations and experience officer. Hurt has been with the bear-making toyco since 2015, driving the company’s turnaround, returning its stores to profitability and spearheading the company’s global expansion, according to a release. Before joining Build-A-Bear, he led retail operations at apparel retailers American Eagle and Ralph Lauren.

Sharon Price John has been president and CEO of the company since 2013, and kept the business afloat during the pandemic. Last week, the company announced it had its fifth consecutive year of record revenue: US$529.8 million, up 6.7%. Also last week, the company announced its first-ever wholesale partnership with Walmart, bringing Bluey products (in partnership with BBC Studios) to more than 1,500 Walmart stores in the US.

Limited Run Games aims to level up

The video game maker, which has game deals with Mattel, Marvel and SEGA, has named Nic Ashford, chief operating officer, and Brendan Madigan, chief financial officer, as the new co-leaders of the company. The duo is replacing president Josh Fairhurst, who leaves the company on April 1. Fairhurst started the North Carolina company in 2015, and the company has sold more than five million games.