Brisbane, Australia-based mobile game publisher Halfbrick has upped Sam White, the CEO of Halfbrick subsidiary The People’s Republic of Animation, to VP of entertainment and licensing for Halfbrick US.

White takes on his new remit in January 2015 from Halfbrick’s L.A.-based office and will be responsible for expanding the company’s future and existing game brands, including Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, into larger entertainment franchises.

In addition, he will lead the development of Halfbrick’s licensing portfolio in the region and be on the lookout for creative, production, licensing and platform partners.

The announcement follows the news of Halfbrick’s cross-platform rebuild of its Fruit Ninja property, and the launch of a dedicated Fruit Ninja YouTube channel and Origins web series in advance of the IP’s five-year anniversary next April.