Panini Hires Karvin Cheung as Product Development Director

Panini America has hired industry veteran Karvin Cheung as product development director overseeing its NBA and NHL products.

The hiring allows Panini to split the Product Development group in half with Cheung overseeing NBA and NHL and Ben Ecklar continuing to oversee NFL and entertainment products.

“I’m ecstatic to join the Panini team.I can’t wait to be part of a brand with such a strong global heritage and help create products that the industry and collectors want to see each year,” said Cheung.

Cheung, a trading card veteran has worked on both the manufacturer and distribution sides of the business.He spent nine years working at Upper Deck as a senior product manager, where he developed and managed 45 NBA and NHL brands, including the creation of The Cup and Exquisite products.Cheung was also instrumental in developing a post-lockout strategy for the NHL for the 2005-06 season.Prior to working at Upper Deck, Cheung served as vice president/general manager for Grosnor Distribution Inc. in Toronto.

“We are pleased to add Karvin to the Panini America team,” said Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America. “Karvin brings tremendous knowledge of the trading card category and a successful track record of developing strong products that excite collectors.He further strengthens our product development team as we continue to grow and secure new licenses.