The Licensing Awards reached a stellar conclusion on Tuesday night (10 September), when Richard Hollis, an industry legend of over 30 years, received the Honorary Achievement Award 2024.
Introducing the award, Jakki Brown, md of Max Publishing (which owns and organises The Licensing Awards), commented: “Tonight, we honour someone who has given their heart, soul and expertise to the licensing industry for over three decades, achieving great things for huge brands, bringing countless products to life, as well as mentoring and inspiring so many along the way.
“A trusted industry leader, who people really listen to and look up to because they are knowledgeable, fair-minded, have an innate commercial nous, a boundless generosity of spirit and happen to be blessed with superb oratory skills and astute witty timing like no other.”
Jakki continued: “The person we honour tonight means so much to so many. “It is often said that licensing is a people business,” is how he began a thank you speech at a recent Character Exchange lunch. He continued: “We want to pay tribute to this genuinely people-orientated industry and to the lovely people who work within it. Without each other and our intertwined relationships none of us would have a job.” True words spoken by a true industry legend.”
Richard said that he was “grateful and delighted” to have won the award.
“I have very seldom won anything – a box of LEGO in a competition when I was four and a medal in a ski race where I fell over and came last are the others that spring to mind – so to be honoured by the industry in this way is humbling and amazing,” he said. “In 34 years in licensing I’ve worked with some truly wonderful people and made many valued friends and hopefully along the way helped create some products that have been enjoyed by generations of children. What more could any of us ask for? Huge thanks to everyone I’ve worked with in this very special and caring industry.”
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