Coolabi Group announces senior management changes

Jeremy Banks to exit and Will Harrison named as new CEO

Leading independent international media group and rights owner Coolabi Group is announcing changes to its senior management team following the resignation of the current CEO, Jeremy Banks. After spearheading the growth of Coolabi Group from its inception as an AIM-listed shell company through to its successful sale on behalf of his private equity partners, Jeremy has decided to leave the company to pursue new opportunities.

He will be replaced by incoming CEO, Will Harrison, who is joining from Seven Dials Media where he was Managing Director. Working alongside Coolabi’s Chairman, Neil Court, Will’s role is to lead the company – which incorporates publishing, digital, entertainment content and licensing – on its next stage of growth.

Coolabi Group, made up of the Coolabi group of companies and the Working Partners group of companies, has been transformed under Jeremy’s tenure into an internationally recognised success story. It is the market leading creator of series fiction for middle grade children, internationally, and is a multi-award-winning producer of television series, apps, games and digital destinations for kids. The group owns some of the largest independently held children’s brands, including Warrior Cats and Beast Quest.

Jeremy led the sale of Coolabi Group in the latter part of 2022 and was asked to stay on by the new owners to continue leading the business and to finish putting in place the key strategic and commercial initiatives which he and his team had identified, with a particular focus on hit franchises, Warrior Cats and Beast Quest. This has been achieved.

Will joins Coolabi with an impressive track record, having managed and advised numerous global media brands to maximise their growth. As Chief Commercial Officer for the Harry Potter Franchise Group at Warner Bros, he helped drive the development and commercial growth of the Harry Potter and Wizarding World brands globally. As Chief Operating Officer for HBO Europe, he was responsible for channels and streaming across 15 territories, leading content acquisition, marketing, affiliate sales, and network operations.

Will was also Managing Director of the streaming service BritBox UK, a joint venture between ITV and BBC. He also served as Managing Director of Ingenious Media, has held senior roles at Disney and Turner Broadcasting, and has served on the boards of several companies including Super RTL, GMTV and FilmFlex.

Neil Court says: “Jeremy is leaving to pursue a new and exciting challenge with our very best wishes for the future and our thanks for a job very well done. Under his tenure, Warrior Cats has been established as the next global kids’ phenomenon through the incredible success of the book series and graphic novels, a Top 100 hit game on Roblox, and with major agreements concluded with Tencent, Retail Monster and Bonkers Toys, amongst others. All this has served to create the substantial and hugely engaged Warrior Cats fandom which today extends across all relevant social media channels and beyond. I’m also pleased to report that Jeremy has agreed to stay on in an advisory capacity to the Board of Coolabi Group to help with the transition.”

Commenting on Will Harrison’s appointment, Neil Court says: “I am delighted to welcome Will as our new CEO. We are so pleased to have someone of his calibre leading the company as we enter the next exciting phase of growth. His knowledge of building global brands and fandoms are hugely impressive and a perfect match to his track record of running successful commercial businesses.”

Will Harrison adds: “I have watched the evolution of Coolabi with admiration – it is a unique and exciting business at a compelling point in its story, with fantastic, fan-focused brands. Jeremy has put in place the strong building blocks on which we shall build the next phase, and I am looking forward to working with Neil and the talented team as we enter this new era to further expand the business and continue to build the franchises and fandoms globally.”

Jeremy Banks says: “We sold Coolabi three years ago and I have enjoyed immensely the challenge of putting in place a new commercial strategy for the business that embraces the many strengths of this wonderful company while navigating the rapidly changing nature of the kids’ media industry today. I couldn’t have done it without the wonderful team I have been fortunate enough to work alongside over the years or be more proud of what we have achieved. I believe with the key strategic partners we now have in place, Coolabi is set for an incredibly exciting few years ahead.
“I am also thankful to my shareholders for working with me to bring Neil Court into the business as Chairman earlier this year to help me chart a course through to the appointment of Will Harrison as CEO who I know will do a wonderful job taking Coolabi on to the next level with his undoubted skills and experience as an operator in this space.”