The Hit man

"We always want to be true to the roots of a classic property, but infuse it with new elements and a new angle that will set it apart from its predecessor," says Keenan, who took up the London-based post this summer.

Mattel-owned Hit holds the rights to preschool brands such as Thomas & Friends, Mike the Knight, Fireman Sam, Barney, Angelina Ballerina and Pingu, among others.

The former Warner Bros Animation exec has spent the past year working with Hit as a consulting creative executive on the new Bob the Builder series and is aware how much the consumption habits of young audiences have changed over recent years.

"We look at the DNA of each property and figure out what it is that's been resonating for audiences for so long. But then we take a look at the current audience and see what they're interested in and how they are using media," Keenan adds.