Halifax-based media company WildBrain’s brand licensing agency has expanded its executive team, naming Hasbro’s Ben Peace as VP of Asia-Pacific (APAC) to spearhead strategy and growth in the region, excluding Greater China.

Peace (pictured) will begin his role at WildBrain CPLG’s Singapore offices in September, after working at Hasbro as senior licensing director, Asia, according to a news release. He will report to Maarten Weck, EVP and managing director of WildBrain CPLG, who is also responsible for the expansion and the management of the teams throughout the APAC region. Weck was appointed in April.

Peace has more than 15 years of experience in the licensing and media industry, specializing in commercial strategy in the APAC region. Prior to Hasbro, Peace worked at Universal Pictures, where he launched their merchandising business in Southeast Asia and handled global licensing and sales for the home entertainment division. He has also held management positions at Aldi and Proctor & Gamble.

Peace’s hiring comes after WildBrain CPLG’s expansion into APAC earlier this year, where a new suite of offices opened in Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea. The company’s existing office in Shanghai, China, has also been expanded and renamed to WildBrain CPLG China. The licensing team now reports to Jianbo Wei, managing director of WildBrain CPLG China, and will work closely with Weck and Peace.

Meanwhile, WildBrain CPLG has also announced it has been appointed by Peanuts Worldwide as the exclusive licensing agent for the Peanuts brand in APAC. The licensing relationship extends across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.

WildBrain CPLG already has a long-standing Peanuts licensing relationship across EMEA. The Peanuts characters and related IP are owned by WildBrain-owned Peanuts Worldwide, the family of Charles M. Schulz, and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), who also remain the brand’s agency for Japan.

WildBrain CPLG’s global footprint now extends to 20 offices and 90 countries, with operations across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

Image courtesy of WildBrain