LA-based animation studio ZAG is expanding its consumer products team with a new hire and promotion in LatAm, as well as opening an office in Miami.

Former Viacom executive Angela Cortez (pictured) joins the prodco as VP of consumer products for Latin America, while Eva Rodriguez moves up from licensing director of LatAm to director of global licensing.

Cortez will lead new business development efforts across the Latin American region, and will also manage a team of local licensing agents representing the company’s brands there, including Gloob, Tycoon and IMC. She will be based in Brazil, reporting to Kirk Bloomgarden, ZAG’s SVP of global licensing.

Cortez will also spend some time working out of the company’s new Miami office, which was set up to support the success of Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir in LatAm.

Prior to joining ZAG, Cortez spent more than a decade at Viacom in various licensing and CP roles. Most recently, she served as VP of consumer products for LatAm. Earlier in her career, Cortez was a sales licensing director at Warner Bros. South, and she also worked as a softlines manager for Walmart Brazil.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez will work with senior management on international CP strategy. She now reports to both Bloomgarden and Julian Zag, EVP of global operations. Rodriguez joined ZAG in January 2020, and she previously held a senior manager position at 20th Century Fox.

Consumer products growth has been a key focus for ZAG over the past year. Most recently, the company hired Sarah Boyer as its first VP of retail for North America. And in March 2020, it tapped Bloomgarden as head of consumer products and Rebekah Belzer as senior director of licensing and merchandising for North America.