By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Global Merchandising Services just made a key appointment, hiring music licensing veteran Lisa Streff as SVP of Licensing and Brand Development for North America.
Streff is considered a rockstar in the music licensing industry, having worked with many of the world’s top acts.
Streff was previously the SVP of Global Licensing and drove the licensing strategy for Epic Rights/Bravado, the music merchandising arm of Universal Music Group, after Bravado acquired Epic Rights in 2019.
In that role, Streff oversaw worldwide licensing for top artists, including Kiss, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Britney Spears, AC/DC, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Guns & Roses, Elton John, CBGB, The Beach Boys, Tupac, and many more.
Prior to the merger, Streff in 2014 joined the executive launch team of the late music merchandising pioneer Dell Furano’s global merchandise, licensing, and branding agency, Epic Rights. Streff continued representing Epic Rights’ roster through the company’s acquisition by Universal Music Group in 2019.
Streff began her career at NBC Universal, where she served as Director of Licensing, and has held senior management positions at companies, including a Senior Vice President of Consumer Products role at Cookie Jar Entertainment, Executive Vice President of Consumer Products for SMC Entertainment Group, and Senior VP Global Partnerships and Licensing at John Wayne Enterprises.
Streff is now joining another groundbreaking player in the music industry.
Global Merchandising Services is an independently owned and operated, award-winning music, celebrity, and lifestyle merchandising company with offices in London and Los Angeles.
Global was founded in 2008 by Barry Drinkwater, who has worked for 40 years with many of the most renowned music artists in the world, including One Direction, Spice Girls, Iron Maiden, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Motorhead, Oasis, and The Grateful Dead.
“With a successful track record in music merchandising, Lisa has been instrumental in developing merchandise and licensing programs for some of the biggest artists in the world, including KISS, Aerosmith, and Def Leppard, and her expertise will make her a valuable addition to our team, leading Global’s North American efforts as we continue to build and grow our artists’ programs,” said Drinkwater.
In her new role, Streff will work closely with Global’s Head of Licensing, Jens Drinkwater, and Director of Licensing Mary Kean, and will focus on growing the North American licensing programs for its roster of iconic clients and on broadening the scope of its rights represention services.
Streff will attend Licensing Expo this month to meet with current and prospective partners, collaborating with the executive team to ensure the continuity and growth of Global’s long-term merchandising programs.
“It has been a thrilling ride over the past 10+ years working in the world of music merchandising starting with my mentor Dell Furano’s Epic Rights through Universal Music Group and now joining the amazing team at Global,” Streff said. “I am excited to dive in with Jens and Mary to further build the program of Global’s slate of world-class artists.”
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