LA-based animation studio ZAG has hired Rafael Baltodano, a former retail brand development director at The Walt Disney Company, as its new VP of North America retail development.

Starting this week, Baltodano replaces Sarah Boyer and will manage strategic relationships at all levels of retail for properties under the ZAG Heroez label, including Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, Power Players and Ghostforce.

Reporting to Lisa Foster (SVP of licensing for North America), Baltodano will initially focus on this fall’s rollout of new products for Miraculous.

Baltodano worked at Disney for 15 years developing overarching retail brand strategies for the Pixar, Marvel and Disney brands.

ZAG has been growing its international consumer products infrastructure recently with key hires, new divisions and the launch of an innovation-driven anti-piracy unit. It also opened an office in Buenos Aires under the purview of Melisa Fuhr (licensing and retail director for South America), with the goal of expanding its licensing and merchandising business in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.