Brian Fox (Frisch)

Recruited into the global toymaker & entertainment company to lead creative strategy for the #1 preschool brand in the world, PAW Patrol — steering all product design, style guide creation, entertainment & franchise development, and license approval and growing the business to $550M in revenue.

• Direct & mentor an 11-member design team, dozens of outside vendors, and China based manufacturing partners — architecting an atmosphere of process, collaboration, and consumer-centered design to unlock creativity and ensure success.

• Applied the idea of think big / work big across the portfolio — seeding the
development lifecycle with process improvements, thematic guardrails & storytelling, research techniques, rapid prototyping, manufacturing automation, and embracing the inventor community to spur innovation.

• Creative lead for all PAW Patrol IP and content development — working collaboratively
to craft the overarching theme, character look & capabilities, environments, vehicles, and accessories to be featured on-screen and sold in store each season.

• Key architect for the strategic vision & roadmap — positioning to deepen PAW
Patrol consumer engagement and broaden the demographic with new soon-to-be released toys & animated series.

• Chief liaison for PAW Patrol’s licensee relationships — steering direction and
approvals for all products in the outdoor, season, plush, and games categories.

Referred into the entertainment giant’s Consumer Products Division to serve as key liaison, creative lead, and brand protector for 50+ licensee relationships — steering development of thousands of products per year based on Disney & Pixar franchises.

• Created and led an initiative to shift the scope of Disney’s product strategy beyond its historically kids-only approach — identifying & satisfying missed portfolio opportunities with new products geared toward the adult consumer segment.

• Partnered with Ravensburger to launch Villainous — delivering one of Disney’s top-selling games of all time, earning its first Toy of the Year Award in the category, and validating a scalable framework that delivers success to this day.

• Pitched leadership on pivoting to a strategy of proactively approaching industry leading consumer electronics brands with licensing opportunities — building relationships with Apple / Beats, Google, Amazon, Garmin, OtterBox, Skin-it, Fuji Film, and Polaroid to successfully grow the portfolio from 3 to 15 partners.

Recruited by the LA toy company’s VP, Product Design to help run its newly acquired Nintendo master toy license, develop new non-licensed properties from scratch, and work cross-functionally to lead external pitch efforts.

• Collaborated closely with the Nintendo licensor to breathe life into its previously stagnant toy line — meticulously maintaining brand integrity to build a highly profitable portfolio featuring dozens of products that remain on shelves to this day.

• Stepped up as a key resource for R&D, costing, design & development, and
manufacturing — leading the launch of new products like Max Tow Truck while
driving growth for existing franchises such as MXS and Power Trains.

Entered career, joining the IP & toy creation startup as employee #3 in what would prove to be a career forming role — growing quickly in responsibility to become a leader with the organization and bringing to market several successful products.

• Served as lead for day-to-day creative development from concept to shelf —
building systems and running product & character development, factory sourcing, margin-conscious manufacturing, licensee management, packaging design, and trade show & website marketing.