J.K. Rowling’s Agency Hires Former Disney Exec to Lead Harry Potter Franchise Team, Taps Universal Music Alum as CCO (EXCLUSIVE)

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As a passionate cinephile and literature enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share the exciting news about The Blair Partnership, the esteemed literary agency that represents none other than J.K. Rowling herself. Since its establishment in 2011 by visionary Neil Blair, this agency has been a beacon of literary excellence. Recently, they’ve taken a significant stride forward with two strategic hires to fill newly created positions. I can hardly wait to see how these new additions will further enrich the literary landscape!

Simon Johnson is set to take up the position of chief commercial officer, having served for nearly four years as the Managing Director of Strategy, Growth, and E-commerce at Universal Music UK. Previously, he held senior positions at Amazon for six years, managing their Books businesses in countries like the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Prior to Amazon, Johnson spent eight years at HarperCollins, where he last served as Group Managing Director, U.K. and International. His new role will involve fostering growth and investigating potential new business ventures.

Simultaneously, Kiran Jeffery is set to take on the role as managing director for the Harry Potter brand team. In this position, she will be responsible for supervising the current marketing, product development, and international publishing departments associated with the Harry Potter franchise. Jeffrey brings over two decades of experience in global marketing, franchising, and partnership management to her new role. For the last decade, she held the position of vice president of franchise & partnership development at Walt Disney Imagineering, where she orchestrated global franchise strategies encompassing all Disney brands. More recently, she was appointed as Chief Marketing Officer and VP of Disney Consumer Products EMEA, overseeing all marketing and communication strategies for consumer products within the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.

This spring, both Johnson and Jeffrey have been welcomed to The Blair Partnership. Their appointments coincide with the commencement of production for the newest adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter on HBO, a high-budget TV series.

Blair expressed his joy in welcoming Simon and Kiran to The Blair Partnership. Their skills and leadership are sure to greatly benefit our company and strengthen our current leadership team. According to Blair, Simon’s commercial knowledge, creativity, and strategic thinking will enable us to discover and capitalize on new business expansion and innovation prospects with both existing and upcoming clients. Kiran’s arrival is particularly timely as we work hand-in-hand with our valued partners to captivate a new audience, marking twenty-five years since J.K. Rowling published the Harry Potter books. We are certain that Kiran will bring exceptional talent, vision, and determination to their position.

John expressed his joy about joining The Blair Partnership this coming spring. With its varied and energetic collection of clients and ventures, as well as Neil’s innovative mindset, he is eager to discover more chances to expand and revolutionize.

Jeffery expressed that working on the Harry Potter series is a dream come true for him. The worldwide popularity of this franchise just keeps increasing, and he’s eager to contribute to the next significant chapter of its adventure, as plans are underway for an enchanting television adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s tales.

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2025-02-18 15:47