We delve into the licensing life of PMS International’s head of brand and licensing.
Ruth Leonard,
Head of Brand and Licensing, PMS International
My route into the licensing industry went something like this…
I was actually selling and marketing steel sleepers internationally when I saw a job advertised in my local paper to run collector clubs for various gift brands and art licenses. It said it needed experience of the ‘WWW’. Neither I, nor my friends knew what this meant in the mid 90’s, but thought I would give it a go. I joined a collectables company managing artists and their brands which ultimately included Me to You. I managed the launch of the Tatty Teddy collectors club which grew to over 150,000 members in a few months, it was crazy busy times – not bad in the days before social media! So as a licensor working with our own brands and as a licensee for Me to You, I met Ian Hyder as part of some advertising we were doing and was captivated by this industry – the rest is history!
How many years in the industry?
16 fun years.
When I was growing up, I had no idea licensing was an industry so I wanted to be…
A lawyer – specifically in France.
The deal I am most proud of is…
Being the one of the first Moshi Monster licensees, during my time at Topps. I clearly remember meeting with Darran Garnham at Nuremberg, we were stood in the corner of a busy lounge area, with no formal meeting room or agenda. All he had were a few scribbles on the back of a note pad, but a huge vision and a plan to make it happen. I was instantly inspired by the concept and we hit the ground running to nail a deal which beat everyone’s expectations. A reminder that a great vision and strong team can make anything achievable.
My most interesting experience in licensing has been…
There have been a lot, no day is the same in this industry is it? But my most memorable, certainly, was a wonderful trip to Kelowna, Canada to meet the founders of Club Penguin, several years ago. A strikingly beautiful and almost remote part of the world, but alive with ambition and great plans. To get under the skin of a start up and to be able to interview the team behind it was a very unique experience.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is…
Never assume anything.
If I wasn’t in licensing, I would be…
The dream is to rescue dogs, so a dog walking business and animal sanctuary.
Who do you admire most in the industry (and why)?
The most difficult question of them all! I admire all the super mums and dads out there. I watch in awe as so many of our industry burn the candle at both ends, yet manage to raise happy families whilst getting the job done in record time. I sat next to Lisa Shapiro [UK md of TLC] on the flight back from Vegas last year – I was selfishly going home to sleep, write notes and follow up and she blew me away with her family agenda for that weekend – just incredible! I also admire those who remain super pleasant and are just lovely to do business with despite obvious high pressure and deadlines. I have known Maggy Harris at ITV for years and put her in this category along with too many other people to mention.
In a film of your life, which licensed character would play you?
On a bad day it would probably need to be Morticia Addams! But on a good day, I am loving the character Marinette as Ladybug and I would get to work in a trip to Paris that way! By my side, reference my above point, would absolutely have to be Scooby Doo along with 101 Dalmations for good measure and cuddles.
If I could change anything about the industry, it would be…
Short of having a really effective crystal ball to predict the next big thing, I would love it if we focused more on working in partnership with licensors to exceed royalty targets, having regular catch ups and the sharing of information rather than conversations focusing solely on the upfront guarantees.
