Strengthens Management Team and Positions Company for Growth with Addition of Chief Operating Officer, Chief Information Officer, and General Counsel
Everett, WA, November 15, 2016 – Funko, one of the leading creators and innovators of licensed pop culture products, announced today that it has added several highly respected executives to key leadership roles to support the Company’s continued growth. Michael McBreen has been named Chief Operating Officer, Sarathy Annamraju joins as Chief Information Officer, and Tracy Daw has been appointed Senior Vice President and General Counsel.
“As we continue to expand our business and increase our diversification, it was critical to ensure we have the right resources and team in place to support our efforts,” said Brian Mariotti, President and CEO of Funko. “The additions of Mike, Sarathy and Tracy, all highly respected and seasoned executives, significantly bolsters the depth and strength of our operations, technology and compliance expertise. Mike brings extensive operations experience, particularly with companies undergoing fast-paced growth and global development. Sarathy’s expertise in building high performing global technology teams to deliver breakthrough customer experiences will be invaluable as we continue to focus on elevating our connected ecosystem to further engage with our fans. Furthermore, Tracy’s deep legal knowledge and background will provide the oversight and structure needed as we execute on our growth strategy.
Mariotti continued, “These new additions build upon our strong existing management team that includes highly talented individuals like Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Company veteran Ben Butcher, our Vice President of Creative. I’m confident that their combined insight and expertise will help Funko to continue to lead the market as the one-stop provider of all fan-based pop culture merchandise.”
Mr. McBreen possesses over 25 years of experience in a variety of industries and business models, most recently he served as Division Senior Vice President of Product Development and Global Sourcing for Payless ShoeSource where he led all design, product development, sourcing, costing, materials, quality and social responsibility. Prior to Payless, he was President of Global Operations for Wolverine World Wide, Inc. Prior to that, he was Director of Global Apparel Operations and Strategic Planning at Nike as well as a Director in the Supply Chain Center of Excellence at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. McBreen received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University.
Mr. Annamraju joins Funko from Microsoft where he spent more than a decade in various leadership roles, most recently as Senior Director with Windows Universal Store and Microsoft IT where he managed a multi-disciplinary global team to deliver and operate a modern platform. Prior to Microsoft, he served as Senior Manager of Telecom, Media and Entertainment for Capgemini. Previously, Mr. Annamraju was Co-Founder and Managing Director at TriSAB Telecom Consulting and a Developer and Program Manager for Bell Canada. Mr. Annamraju received his B.S. in Computer Science from Concordia University in Montreal.
Mr. Daw brings more than 15 years of in-house legal experience to Funko. Most recently, he served as General Counsel at INRIX, a leading provider of connected driver services in cars where he was responsible for global legal affairs, with emphasis on corporate and intellectual property matters. Prior to INRIX, he served as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at RealNetworks, a publicly traded company in Seattle, WA. Previously, he was a partner in the law firm of Sidley Austin in Chicago. He received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.S. degree from Cornell University.
About Funko
Headquartered in Everett, WA, Funko is one of the leading creators and innovators of licensed pop culture products to a diverse range of connected consumers. Funko designs, sources and distributes high-velocity collectible products across multiple categories including vinyl figures, action toys, plush, apparel, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters. In 2015, Funko received a majority investment from ACON Investments, L.L.C, a diversified international private equity firm. As a leader in the large and growing $15 billion global licensed pop culture products market, Funko currently holds one of the largest portfolio of licenses and the rights to create tens of thousands of characters. Funko’s Pop! Vinyl is one of the most popular stylized vinyl collectibles on the market, selling millions of figures to collectors around the world. Learn more at https://funko.com/, and follow us on Twitter (@OriginalFunko) and Instagram (@OriginalFunko).
About ACON Investments
ACON Investments, L.L.C. is a Washington, DC-based international private equity investment firm that manages private equity funds and special purpose partnerships that make investments in the United States and Latin America. Founded in 1996, ACON has responsibility for managing approximately $4.8 billion of capital. ACON has professionals in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo and Bogotá. For more information, visit www.aconinvestments.com.
via http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/funko-announces-key-senior-executive-hires/
Daniel Pickett
