Former DreamWorks Animation licensing boss Jim Fielding has been appointed president of consumer products and innovation for 20th Century Fox Films and Fox Television Group.

Effective January 23, Fielding will oversee licensing, product development and new business opportunities in the retail space for both businesses, as well as FX Networks. He will be based in L.A.

Fielding was most recently DreamWorks’ global head of consumer products and retail. He departed from the company last fall when NBCUniversal’s US$3.8-billion DreamWorks acquisition ushered in a new chain of command within the company’s film, television and retail businesses. 

Fielding worked on DreamWorks franchises like Trolls, and has been vocal about the shrinking timelines between conception of a CP program and its retail execution.

Prior to DreamWorks, he was CEO at Claire’s Stores and president of Disney Stores Worldwide. The latter role saw Fielding lead a US$1.2-billion global business that operated 360 stores in 12 countries, as well as the DisneyStore.com e-commerce business.