Speaker Helen McAleer
Speaker Helen McAleer

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Helen McAleer

IP, Publishing & Production Consultant

Helen McAleer runs a media consultancy specialising in Intellectual Property Management, publishing and TV production. Drawing on almost 30 years experience of the children's sector across all key media, she works with clients including publishing houses Macmillan Children's Books, UK and Macmillan Children's US, Literary agents Lucas Alexander Whitely and personalised publisher Wonderbly.

Helen is the cross media consultant for the London Book Fair where one of her roles is to chair the CAMEO cross media awards now in their third year.

Helen is also a non Executive Director of BAFTA winning Irish Production Company, Jam and a non Executive Director of Rocket Licencing Agency.

Before setting up her consultancy business Helen spent several years at global independent publishers the Walker Books Group, joining as the Managing Director of Walker Books UK and founding Walker Productions.

She went on to become their Chief Global Development Officer, responsible for globalising her successful UK strategy in TV, licensing, digital and rights management across the group.

As Managing Director of Walker Productions she developed and co-produced award winning TV series and films for Disney Junior, CBeebies, CBBC, CITV and Channel 4 and many other international channels and she is also the Executive Producer of the series Tilly and Friends, Hank Zipzer, Scream Street and Channel 4's 2016 animated Christmas family film We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

In 2017 the Hank Zipzer Christmas Special won an International Emmy.

Prior to joining Walker, Helen was Deputy Managing Director of BBC Worldwide's Children's Business where she was responsible for Worldwide's children's progamme investment budget, as well as running the DVD, global licensing and merchandising and digital businesses. She also sat on  the BBC/Penguin Joint Venture Board for kids publishing .

In her time at Worldwide she worked across several major global franchises such as Teletubbies, Tweenies, Dr Who, Bob the Builder, Wallace and Gromit and Charlie and Lola.

Helen began her career working for Random House and then Penguin Books working on books by such esteemed authors as Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake, and Raymond Briggs to name just a few.

Helen is a member of the Children's Media Conference Committee, a member of the London Book Fair Advisory Board and a patron and Director of the Children's Media Foundation.

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