We’re delighted to announce that Terrence Turner, Justin Wharton, and Aya Peters have been signed to take over Panda Global’s merchandise initiatives.
“The chance to align my passions for merchandising, sports and entertainment and helping to extend the Panda brand is an incredible opportunity.”
Spearheading this group is Terrence Turner (or Terry as we like to call him), our Lead Merchandise Strategist with decades of experience under his belt, working for the likes of Hallmark Cards, Disney Parks, and Cirque Du Soleil. His background spans not only merchandising, but creative development, brand/franchise design, and business innovation as well.
“I am both thrilled and excited to join Panda Global [and work] with Alan, David, Aya, Justin and the whole team,” writes Terry. “The chance to align my passions for merchandising, sports and entertainment and helping to extend the Panda brand is an incredible opportunity. Being new to esports, I’m looking forward to meeting and learning from the entire organization!”
“Now you won’t have to sit through my posts about not having a team. You will have to sit through my new posts of how cool my team is.”
Terry will of course be working closely with Justin Wharton and Aya Peters, who have signed as Merchandise Coordinators. Justin Wharton, whom you may recognize from our Panda VS line, is a renowned digital illustrator within the gaming space. He’s most notably worked with Team Liquid and the Rivals of Aether team and has also sold an impressive 8,700+ units of his own apparel.
“I have been in the esports community for quite some time now and Panda Global has always treated me as family,” Justin writes. “I’m so excited to lend my talents and skills to a team that has given me so many opportunities in the past. I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my esports career. Now you won’t have to sit through my posts about not having a team. You will have to sit through my new posts of how cool my team is.”
“As a Smash competitor, I’ve always looked to Panda Global as a driving force of good in the community,”
Rounding out the trio is Aya Peters, a professional graphic designer with ample experience making merchandise and design assets for esports organizations. Outside of esports, Aya has also worked with several companies such as MGM Resorts, Planet Hollywood, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation with their marketing campaigns.
“I’m happy to collaborate with the team at Panda Global as a Marketing Coordinator during an exciting time of the company’s growth,” Aya writes. “As a Smash competitor, I’ve always looked to Panda Global as a driving force of good in the community, and it’s a dream come true to leverage my marketing expertise with my love of esports to help further the brand as they continue to grow. I want to help build a community that people will be proud to be a part of, and it’s hard not to be excited about the future. I can’t wait to show everyone what Panda Global is capable of!”
We’re thrilled to have these three join the Panda family. With the immense amount of talent they bring to the table, we know future PG swag is in good hands.
With this announcement, we also want to say a huge thank you to our current Director of Merchandise, Fiorella Rabon, who is stepping down from her position following the transition. We appreciate all the work she’s done for us, from spearheading the Panda VS line to helping run the PG booth for our fans. We’d like to wish Fio luck in her future endeavors as she moves to LA, but she’s not going to need it— she’s just that good.