Meet James in Consumer Products

Describe your educational background. Where did you study, what degrees did you receive?

I went to school at UCLA for my undergrad—double major in Communications Studies and Asian American Studies with a minor in Accounting.

Describe your career history. What were your professional experiences prior to your current position?

I did corporate PR for Washington Mutual right out of school. After that, I joined a consulting firm as a research associate. I then started with FremantleMedia as a licensing coordinator and grew with the department from there.

What are your current roles and responsibilities?

I look after the consumer products business for North America, overseeing the process from deal-making and negotiation to product development all the way to launching and promoting the products.

Describe a typical day at your job.

Every day is different, and I don’t know what will happen until I get in and open my inbox. That’s what I love most about my job—it never gets mundane. I get to talk to people from toy companies and lottery ticket makers to ice cream companies and video game publishers.

What attracted you to your company and position? What is your favorite thing about your job? 

I have always loved working in entertainment—working at Warner Bros. was one of my first jobs. What I love about the entertainment industry is the business side of the business. Being in the licensing side gives me a great balance between creative and business.

What has been your most memorable moment (so far) in your job? 

Touring the Dreyer’s ice cream factory and eating freshly made American Idol branded ice cream. It was like being in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

If you could meet anyone from history, living or dead, who would it be? 

I want to meet my grandfather. I hear he was a great man.

If I were a cartoon character, I would be:

Wonder Woman! 

What qualities do you feel are necessary to be a successful employee at your company? 

First and foremost, one must have a good attitude and sense of humor. Everybody at FremantleMedia has a very strong personality, and that’s why we all get along so well. Also, an entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to quality are important traits to have.

Have you had the opportunity to travel as part of your job?

Yes, too many times! I guess the grass is always greener. I’d always wanted to travel for work, and now that I do it so often, I look forward to sitting on the couch at home watching Ugly Betty. 

Do you feel you have a good understanding of Bertelsmann and its corporate culture? 

I think I know FremantleMedia well, but not necessarily Bertelsmann since it’s such a huge corporation with so many different companies. Overall though, I think that the more I meet the international team, the more I feel we’re alike.

My favorite books, movies, and artists are:

I love works from Pearl S. Buck and Charles Dickens. Cheesy movies like Clueless, Mean Girls, and Pretty Woman are always quotable. As for artists, Cezanne, Kandinsky, and Rothko are major inspirations for me when I paint.