Deirdre begins her role 1 July, and is joined by new board members Rachele Harmuth, Marie Marks and Carrie Mueller
Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) has appointed former Moose Toys and Funko exec Deirdre Cross as Chairwoman of the Board, effective 1 July.
Deirdre’s new role follows her service on the WiT Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the Wonder Women Awards for the past year and a half. A respected executive and entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience in the toy and game industry, Deirdre currently serves as Co-Founder and CEO of The Office of Tiffany Birdsong, a Seattle-based creative studio and tabletop incubator. Her leadership career includes executive roles at Moose Toys and Funko.
“The power of WiT has always been its ability to spark genuine connection and to elevate the women shaping the toys, licensing, and entertainment industries.” She said. “I am honoured to step into the role of Chairwoman. The landscape of business is changing rapidly, and alongside this phenomenal board, I’m excited to accelerate the next chapter of community, mentorship, and shared opportunity for women across all facets of the industry.”
Industry leaders Rachele Harmuth, Marie Marks and Carrie Mueller have also been elected to the WiT board, and Lisa Gilbert and Stephanie Bailey will be returning for additional board terms.
Rachele is a veteran toy industry executive with more than 30 years of experience, and a 2025 WiT Wonder Woman Award winner. She currently serves as Chief Product Officer, CrunchLabs, and is also the founder of MESH Helps, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children’s mental, emotional and social health through play.
Marie Marks is Head of Global Experiences, Paramount where she leads the company’s global experiences. Carrie Mueller, Senior Director of Sales, VTech Electronics North America is a respected sales and business leader whose career spans companies including Sony, LeapFrog and Vtech.
