Genius Brands International, the brand management company which produces content for toddlers to tweens, is expanding its global content distribution operation with the appointment of the new director of distribution Mark Shoeman.
The announcement was made by Genius Brands SVP and Kid Genius Cartoon Channel global content distribution and marketing president Deb Pierson, to whom Shoeman will be reporting.
As new director of distribution, Shoeman will be responsible for sales of the company’s programming library, including the new CGI-animated series, Rainbow Rangers which will make its premiere this fall on Nick Jr. in the US. The Netflix preschool series Llama Llama, starring Jennifer Garner; tween music-driven YouTube brand SpacePOP; award-winning toddler brand Baby Genius; adventure comedy series Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab, and Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club is also included in the list.
Adhering to the above responsibilities, Shoeman will also identify appropriate content for procurement for both the Kid Genius Cartoon Channel and Baby Genius channel. He will also work with Pierson to continue to expand the distribution of the channels. Shoeman stated, “With the upcoming launch of Rainbow Rangers this fall on Nick Jr., the recent debut of Llama Llama on Netflix, and the growth of the digital channels, this is a thrilling time to be joining Genius Brands, and I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Shoeman joined Genius Brands International while switching from DHX Media, where he served as territory manager for the US since 2012. There he managed the sale of approximately 13,000 half-hours of children’s entertainment programming. From 2008 to 2012, Shoeman held the post of sales manager for the US and Asia Pacific markets for Cookie Jar Entertainment (formerly DIC Entertainment). His career launched in 2002 at DIC Entertainment, the company formed by Genius Brands’s chairman and CEO Andy Heyward. He started working as a product development coordinator in DIC’s consumer products/home entertainment division.
“Mark will be a tremendous asset to the Genius Brands team, bringing a wealth of experience, beneficial relationships, and a reputation for being passionately committed to distributing, acquiring and successfully managing quality entertainment content for young viewers,” added Pierson.