The long-serving CEO of Toonz Media Group, P. Jayakumar, is exiting his role after 26 years.
The Indian exec will step down on November 30 after nearly three decades with the Trivandrum-based animation producer.
Under his leadership, the company went from a local animation services provider to a global kids and family entertainment player with bases in India, Ireland, Spain and New Zealand.
“Leading Toonz has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life,” he said. “What began as a dream shared by a small, passionate team has today grown into a global powerhouse of creativity and storytelling. I am deeply grateful to every member of the Toonz family, past and present, and to our wonderful partners around the world who have been part of this incredible journey.
“While I step down from my current role, I will always remain emotionally connected to Toonz. In the coming months, I intend to embark on a new venture that continues my lifelong passion for creativity and collaboration in the global entertainment space.”
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Jayakumar has been working closely with Viswanath Rao, who had become acting CEO, and Karthik V. Kumar, who was recently appointed Finance Director, to ensure a smooth transition, the company said.
Toonz is known for producing content for the likes of Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros Discovery, Sony, NBCUniversal, BBC, Paramount, Marvel, Google and Hallmark. Its shows include the likes of CID Squad, The Blahs and Zoonicorn. On the feature film side, its credits include Gummibar & Friends, the Chickenhare movies and Bartali’s Bicycles.