Asgard Media – the company founded by the late Kelvyn Gardner in 1998 – has confirmed the appointment of Robyn Cowling as its new head of strategic partnerships.
Robyn – who was formerly licensing director at Underground Toys (which was acquired by Funko in January 2017) – has over ten years of experience and a wealth of knowledge in the pop culture and trends space.
A popular member of the licensing industry who is passionate about products and will embody the values of Asgard Media as a family venture, Robyn will draw on her unique experiences at a start-up. She is committed to growing the business in collaboration with clients and licensors in a profitable and sustainable way, encouraging them to connect, build and nurture relationships.
“In particular, I’m looking forward to combining my commercial knowledge and product development expertise to deliver new, exciting licensed ranges and products to the FMCG and gift sectors,” commented Robyn. “Asgard represents clients in a broad range of sectors including craft gin and cakes – what’s not to love?
“I’m keen to prove worthy of the support which Kelvyn’s family have shown me by guiding our existing clients into exploring different genres and adding to our strong portfolio with new strategic partners.”
Kelvyn – who passed away suddenly in January – created Asgard Media as a new consultancy business in 1998, following his success with Merlin Publishing. After stepping down as md of Licensing International in 2020, Kelvyn had been busy re-introducing the consultancy, which included working with the award winning Harrogate Tipple among others.
“Kelvyn’s sudden passing on 26 January this year hit us hard. Of course, this meant a decision as to whether we continued in licensing,” commented Michelle Gardner, director of Asgard Media. “However a desire to look after our lovely clients led us to carry on, although without Kelvyn at the helm this was a daunting prospect.
“Advice from good friends within the industry led us to David Berry of Interim Licensing Management. David has done a fantastic job guiding us through the licensing maze, getting Asgard Media back on track at what has been a challenging time. We could not have asked for a better helping hand in the interim while we looked to engage someone permanently. Now seven months on, we are happy to announce Robyn Cowling’s appointment as head of strategic partnerships for Asgard Media.”
Eliot and Regan Gardner added: “Our dad created Asgard Media especially to provide a range of independent consultancy services and strategic advice to the licensing business sector. We grew up around licensing, and knowing that Asgard will continue to be a part of the vibrant industry he loved so much means the world to us. Having Robyn on board really makes us ready for an electric future.”
You can contact Robyn by emailing rc@asgardmedia.com.
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