‘Angry Birds’ Publisher Rovio Entertainment Bolsters Los Angeles Office

Rovio Entertainment, creator of the bestselling Angry Birds game franchise, is expanding its operations at its newly opened Santa Monica office. Rovio Entertainment debuted Angry Birds Trilogy for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo 3DS through a publishing deal with Activision at Gamescom 2012 last week.

But the Finnish game studio has expanded its brand well beyond interactive entertainment. In 2011, Rovio worked with over 200 licensing partners who released over 1,000 Angry Birds items ranging from candy to clothing. David Maisel, the former chairman of Marvel Studios, is working with Rovio on a 3D computer-generated Angry Birds feature film.

Related Stories

Business

'Angry Birds' Maker Rovio Agrees to $775M Sale to Sega

Business

'Angry Birds' Maker Rovio's Sale Talks With Israel's Playtika End, Strategic Review Continues

Now the company, which has over 300 employees spread across the world, is ramping up its Los Angeles presence. Rachel Webber has joined Rovio as Head of Business Development, North America. Formerly managing partnerships at Tumblr, she will focus on building strategic entertainment and distribution partnerships in North America, as well as building Rovio’s burgeoning video animation business.

Michele Tobin is the company’s new Head of Advertising Sales, North America. Formerly leading Entertainment at Millennial Media, her responsibilities include building integrated partnerships and a direct sales pipeline with the biggest brands in the US. 

Naz Cuevas now serves as Rovio’s Senior Director of Consumer Products and Retail Strategy, North America. Formerly a Senior Manager at Fremantle’s licensing division, Naz will be responsible for managing key licensees and retail accounts in North America.

“As an entertainment company spanning games, animations, consumer products, retail and media partnerships, it’s natural for us to expand our reach in North America out of Santa Monica,” said Andrew Stalbow, Rovio’s General Manager of North America. “We’re thrilled to announce the hiring of Rachel, Michele and Naz as we work with our partners in the United States to execute our strategy of delivering incredible experiences for our fans,”

In addition to Santa Monica, Rovio also has international offices in Shanghai, China, and Stockholm, Sweden, in addition to its head office in Helsinki, Finland.