Disney merchandising executive gets expanded license.

JESSICA Dunne discovered relatively early in her career that as consumer products go, toys were a better condiment to life than mustard.

Recently promoted to executive vice president of Walt Disney Co.'s global toys division, Dunne's first foray into consumer products marketing was with Del Monte Corp. and then the French's mustard brand.

"I lacked a personal passion for the product," said Dunne, 40. When she was lured away by toy-maker Galoob, later acquired by Hasbro Inc., she said, "I started to have more fun. Being in the children's space is a blast, being on the cutting edge of what's hot tot a 6-year-old.'"

The post is an expansion of duties for Dunne, who joined Disney as the division's senior vice president in late 2002 from the Cartoon Network, where she oversaw marketing and merchandising.

"I've been given responsibility as the liaison with our TV team for both the Disney Channel and Jetix, to be the point person for strategy and all of Disney's consumer products," she said. Jetix is one of Disney's latest offerings, a channel devoted to anime and anime-inspired programming for kids.

The consumer products division contributed about 8.5 percent of Disney's revenues in the year ended Sep. 30. 2003, and so Dunne, who reports to Disney Consumer Products Worldwide Chairman Andy Mooney, is heard when it comes to developing new programming.

Still, the folks on the toy side have to see how the kids respond to programming, often waiting a year after a show is launched before debuting a tie-in toy product.

Dunne, who is single and lives in Silver Lake, makes sure all the goodies that come with the job don't go to waste. With 23 nieces and nephews, she easily lays claim to title of the family's "favorite aunt."

"Oh, yeah," she said, "no contest."