Coolabi Group, the leading independent international media and rights company, has announced a leadership transition with the appointment of Will Harrison as its new Chief Executive Officer. The change follows the departure of Jeremy Banks, who has led the company since its inception and successfully orchestrated its sale on behalf of private equity partners in 2022.
Chairman Neil Court commented, “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.” Court also confirmed that Banks will continue in an advisory capacity to support the leadership transition.
Under Banks' tenure, Coolabi was transformed into an internationally recognised player in children’s media. The group—comprising the Coolabi and Working Partners group of companies—became a market leader in middle-grade fiction and a multi-award-winning producer of children’s television series, games, apps, and digital platforms. Coolabi holds ownership of some of the largest independently managed children's properties, including the global franchises “Warrior Cats” and “Beast Quest.”
Banks was asked to remain as CEO post-acquisition to finalize key strategic and commercial initiatives, particularly surrounding the development and expansion of its hit franchises. These goals, he confirmed, have now been fully realised.
Incoming CEO Will Harrison brings extensive global media experience, most recently serving as Managing Director of Seven Dials Media. His previous roles include Chief Commercial Officer for the Harry Potter Franchise Group at Warner Bros., where he was instrumental in the global development and monetisation of the Harry Potter and Wizarding World brands. He also served as Chief Operating Officer for HBO Europe, overseeing operations across 15 territories. Additional roles have included Managing Director of BritBox UK, Chief Operating Officer at Ingenious Media, and senior positions at Disney and Turner Broadcasting. He has served on several company boards, including Super RTL, GMTV, and FilmFlex.
“I am delighted to welcome Will as our new CEO,” said Court. “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.”
Harrison expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity, saying, “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.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Banks added, “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.”
He concluded, “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.”
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