Peanuts Worldwide has announced its consumer products and brand executive Tim Erickson has been named executive vice president of brand, Peanuts Worldwide. Erickson will oversee the professionals at Peanuts Worldwide who manage the brand’s global licensing business.

Working together with the family of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, WildBrain’s content and management teams and brand co-owners Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Erickson will be responsible for sustaining a strategy true to the heritage of the Peanuts brand – opening new licensing, partnership and retail opportunities, supporting brand marketing and leveraging new content launches – all to expand the global presence of the Peanuts brand and build momentum towards its 75th anniversary in 2025. Based in New York, Erickson reports to Eric Ellenbogen, chief executive officer, WildBrain, the majority owner of Peanuts.

“I’m delighted that Tim has joined the team at this important moment for the Peanuts brand,” says Ellenbogen. “Working in tandem with our Peanuts content team, Tim will bring a breadth of experience at the intersection of family entertainment and consumer products that makes him the ideal person to lead the evergreen Peanuts licensing business.”

Erickson brings more than 20 years of experience in consumer products and brand building, having worked for such notable media and IP companies as Twentieth Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney and LEGO. He most recently held the position of chief operating officer at the media company GoldieBlox, creating innovative STEM-focused brand experiences for girls through consumer products, retail and storytelling, as well as overseeing the company’s business development and operations. Prior to GoldieBlox, as senior vice president of Global Licensing and Operations at Twentieth Century Fox, Erickson was head of the global merchandise licensing business where he drove double-digit growth across the company’s film and television brands. Before that, Erickson held the position of global head of licensing and operations at DreamWorks, expanding the company’s global merchandise licensing business to realize triple-digit growth. At DreamWorks, Erickson was part of the team that launched and accelerated film and TV franchises “Trolls,” “Spirit” and “How to Train Your Dragon.” Prior to DreamWorks, Erickson spent several years driving consumer products and sales strategies at Disney and LEGO.

“As a lifelong Peanuts fan, I’m elated to join Peanuts Worldwide,” says Erickson. “I’ve long admired Charles Schulz’s storytelling, both personally and professionally, so I look forward to engaging with the team and our partners to continue telling meaningful Peanuts stories through content, products and experiences that will engage fans for generations to come. I’m so excited about the opportunity to connect the Peanuts content pipeline with fan engagement around the world.”