THE BIG INTERVIEW KATE GIBSON
Fit for the
future
This month TnP talks to Kate Gibson, managing director of Gibsons, which was founded by her great-grandfather Harry Percy Gibson in 1919 What’s your background? I studied English Literature at university before working for Men’s Health magazine and then for the charity Breast Cancer Care in its fundraising and marketing departments. Joining Gibsons in 2005, my first role was in operations. But I quickly moved across into marketing and product development, gradually becoming more involved in people and strategy, before becoming managing director in 2016.
Tell us about your company. Gibsons is a British family business with a strong heritage. We produce games, jigsaw puzzles and playing cards for all generations. Our company is all about ‘bringing people together’ be it through our products, the responsibility we have to the community and the world around us, or by making Gibsons a great place to work.
What’s your working week like? No two weeks are the same. I try to keep big meetings to MondayWednesday, as well as one-to-one meetings with my team. We have virtual team chats twice a week; a chance to grab a cuppa and chat about things other than work with team members. And making time for exercise definitely keeps me sane and more resilient!
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Costs are rising across the board. Whether it’s the freight situation and costs associated with container shipping, or the price of board and raw materials, suppliers will be navigating their way through this challenge for the foreseeable future
products in 2020, we are continuing to see the trend continue both domestically and internationally. As well as turning 102 years old, so far in 2021 we have taken on six new members of the team. It’s great to see so much development and innovation taking place. This year we launched our Made For You puzzle service, allowing people to upload their own photo memory and create a personalised jigsaw puzzle. Other highlights include winning the commemorative & collectable category of the 2021 Gift of the Year Awards (organised by the Giftware Association) for our Rainbow Heroes jigsaw puzzle - we donate £2 to the Samaritans
charity for every product sold. We also recently appeared in ITV4’s Made In Britain series, which followed the journey of one of our jigsaw puzzles from conception to shelf. And a personal highlight has to be receiving a letter from baking royalty Mary Berry, congratulating us on our puzzles getting her through lockdown!
What changes have you made in light of the restrictions that Covid-19 has created? Like all businesses, we’ve had to adapt to home working, ensuring we have the technology and systems in place for this. The restrictions have at times slowed production, which has been hugely frustrating but essential to keep our teams safe.
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What’s keeping you busy? Gibsons has experienced a rapid period of growth and we are focused on ensuring the company is fit for the future in every sense, whether it be our systems, processes, production capacity or resources.
How has trading been for you so far this year? Following a fantastic period of trading and high demand for our
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Gift of the Year winner: The Rainbow Heroes 500-piece circular jigsaw puzzle celebrates the heroes who continue to help us through the pandemic, from nurses and doctors to delivery drivers and emergency services. To say thank you, Gibsons donates £2 from every Rainbow Heroes puzzle sold to the Samaritans charity
toysnplaythings.media 06/07/2021 12:59
