Manuel Torres Port wants you to get excited.

Tapped by California-based entertainment studio ZAG for a newly created chief brand officer role in February, Torres Port is responsible for managing brand franchises across digital and gaming, consumer products, live events and experiences, as well as driving a full portfolio of new IPs.

“We want there to be the same level of excitement around consumer products as there is for the brands on screen,” he says.

Torres Port joins the company from NBCUniversal and previously held positions with Nickelodeon and Mattel, where he worked on properties including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Max Steel.

Building up the team at ZAG is a priority moving forward, he says, with a focus on hiring more franchise creatives to provide licensing partners with the best possible assets for consumer products and events. Torres Port also hopes to bring on more support for domestic licensing. “The incredible level of storytelling was the magnet that drew me to working with this company,” he says. “I’m excited to take these characters and these stories to places they haven’t been yet.”

His appointment comes as ZAG continues efforts to expand into new categories, channels and markets. For example, the company recently inked an agreement with Skydance Media to develop and produce the first live-action adaptations of Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.

“It’s my responsibility to make sure we’re satisfying the accelerating needs of fans as they connect with the brands across every possible category,” Torres Port says.