Los Angeles Times · 26 Sep, 10:00 · Business briefing

Funko nearly went under. This former Netflix executive has a plan to revive the popular doll maker

Funko, the collectibles manufacturer, faced severe financial distress, nearly collapsing before securing a turnaround strategy.

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

Funko, the collectibles manufacturer, faced severe financial distress, nearly collapsing before securing a turnaround strategy. A former Netflix executive has been appointed to lead the revival, leveraging experience from the streaming giant to stabilise the popular doll maker. The Los Angeles Times reports that this leadership change signals a significant operational shift. For professionals, this highlights how entertainment industry expertise is increasingly applied to retail and manufacturing sectors. The move suggests that traditional toy makers must adopt digital-first mindsets and agile content strategies to survive market volatility and changing consumer preferences in the collectibles space.

Employer demand for Crisis Management skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

This pivot demonstrates that crisis management and cross-industry leadership are now critical career assets. You should monitor how entertainment executives reshape traditional retail models. Skills in digital transformation, brand revitalisation, and agile project management will see heightened demand. If you specialise in marketing or operations, study how streaming logic applies to physical goods. Consider upskilling in strategic planning to navigate corporate turnarounds. Professionals in consumer goods should anticipate hybrid roles blending content strategy with supply chain efficiency. Prepare for organisations seeking leaders who can bridge digital engagement with tangible product value. Focus on adaptability and data-driven decision-making to remain relevant as industries converge and traditional boundaries blur in the post-pandemic economic landscape.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Crisis Management, Strategic Marketing, Business And Management and Leadership — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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