Independent international media group and rights owner Coolabi Group has appointed industry entrepreneur Neil Court as its Chairman. Working alongside CEO Jeremy Banks and the Coolabi management team, he will offer strategic advice to the Board as the company heads into the next stage of growth.
Court brings experience working with both media and private equity backed companies to the new post. For 10 years, he was Executive Chairman of 9 Story Media Group until it was sold to Scholastic Inc. in 2024. He was Founder and Executive Chairman of U.K. factual prodco consolidator, Tin Roof Media, and was Co-Founder of Decode Entertainment (DHXMedia / WildBrain). He has consulted for many leading media companies including The Jim Henson Company and Film Roman, and continues to be Chairman of the Toronto-based scripted and factual prodco, Peacock Alley Entertainment.
“I have followed Coolabi’s progress over the years and was drawn to working with the company’s innovative team. It has a unique way of building franchises and a loyal fanbase by going directly to its audience on platforms where its IP is consumed,” said Court. “This model has been built on the foundations of the Group’s profitable book packaging operation. Coolabi is not just a book or a TV-driven business and has already pioneered new ways of working in an ever-changing media climate. I am very excited to be part of this entrepreneurial company through its next stage of growth.”
Active across the creation, development and brand management of children’s and family intellectual property rights, and accomplished in navigating innovative franchise building in a challenged kids’ media market, Coolabi has created an extensive slate of wholly owned IP through its book packaging business, Working Partners. The Group’s growth and expansion is focused on building its book IP into global franchises in innovative non-traditional ways with storytelling, fandom and community at the heart of all its projects.
Coolabi’s biggest hit is the best-selling series Warrior Cats, a huge publishing success story (77 million-plus books sold in 38 languages and 15-plus years on the New York Times bestseller list) and an unrivalled chart-topper on gaming platform Roblox over a prolonged period, with a massive and rapidly growing fandom across social media (600m+ plays on Roblox, 1.9b+ TikTok views). Building on this success, Coolabi recently appointed Retail Monster to develop a full licensing and merchandising programme in North America and Bonkers Toys to activate the franchise across the toy aisle in the U.S. and beyond. It has also signed a deal with Tencent Video to develop the property for TV and film.
Coolabi’s growth is also rooted in scaling up its other book-based brands such as the recently announced animated series based on its hit Beast Quest books with Superprod Group and for The Secret Explorers with Pixel Zoo and Liquid Rock Entertainment. The company is currently in production with Cottonwood Media to co produce a live-action drama based on its The Lady Grace Mysteries book series along with BBC Children’s & Education, ZDF / ZDF Studios in Germany and France Televisions.
“We have huge ambitions for Coolabi and wanted to bring in someone at board level with a track record of success working as a Chairman within private equity backed businesses such as Coolabi,” said CEO Banks. “Working with and receiving strategic challenge from someone of Neil’s caliber and experience will help amplify and accelerate our growth plans as we continue to enhance the scalability of both the company and our IP.”
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