Former Disney and DreamWorks executive will work closely with Charles M. Schulz’s family and Wildbrain’s content teams to drive licensing strategy and growth.
Peanuts Worldwide has named consumer products and brand executive Tim Erickson Executive Vice President of Brand, Peanuts Worldwide, overseeing the brand’s global licensing business. Erickson will work with the family of “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz, WildBrain’s content and management teams, and brand co-owners Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) to manage and grow the “Peanuts” brand – opening new licensing, partnership and retail opportunities, supporting brand marketing, and leveraging new content launches – as the company builds momentum towards its 75th anniversary in 2025. Based in New York, Erickson will report to Eric Ellenbogen, CEO of WildBrain, the majority owner of “Peanuts.”
According to Ellenbogen, “I’m delighted that Tim has joined the team at this important moment for the Peanuts brand. The response to our original series The Snoopy Show and Snoopy in Space on Apple TV+ and to our ‘Take Care With Peanuts’ initiative has been nothing short of fantastic. With lots more new content rolling out worldwide in the coming years in partnership with Apple TV+, the ‘Peanuts’ gang has never been more popular. 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.”
“As a lifelong ‘Peanuts’ fan, I’m elated to join Peanuts Worldwide,” Erickson said. “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.”
Erickson brings over 20 years of experience in consumer products and brand building, having worked for 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 & 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 the highly acclaimed 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.
Source: Peanuts Worldwide
