Universal Music Group has appointed Mat Vlasic as chief executive officer of global merchandising for Bravado after the departure of Tom Bennett.

Vlasic joins Bravado from Sony Music, where he founded the in-house consumer products and licensing division, as well as led the merchandising division and signed agreements with artists such as A$AP Rocky, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop & The Stooges and Johnny Cash, among others.

Additionally, Bennett will continue to work closely with Universal Music Group in his new venture and will serve as a consultant to the company.

“Tom has done an outstanding job building Bravado into the most successful merchandising company in the industry. On behalf of everyone here, I thank him for all of his many contributions and we look forward to working with him in his new endeavor,” says Boyd Muir, chief financial officer and executive vice president, Universal Music Group. “I’m thrilled that we have identified a uniquely qualified successor in Mat Vlasic who brings to Bravado a passion for working with artists and helping them realize their vision for extending their brands through a variety of fan-driven products.”