Industry Moves

Jeremy Robinson offers freelance toy and licensing services

Long-time industry executive Jeremy (Jez) Robinson is currently working in a freelance consultancy capacity across the toy and licensing industries, and would be happy to hear from any companies looking for a reliable and adaptable sales resource in the UK market.

Jeremy has a wealth of experience, with previous roles from his extensive CV including UK sales manager for Tomy and UK country manager for Schleich. In a consultant capacity, he is ideally placed to offer tailor-made advice and solutions to a wide range of organisations, to suit their specific requirements.

“Being able to utilise my network and experience on behalf of my current partners has been hugely enjoyable, and we have been able to deliver some very strong results in a very short timeframe,” Jeremy told Toy World. “Having access to proven and flexible support seems to be an attractive option for companies looking to help build their UK presence at this time and, with some spare capacity, I would be pleased to discuss how I can assist any other parties looking to build their UK presence in the toy and licensing markets”

Jeremy can be contacted on +44 (0)7772 482 255 and on jez330@aol.com.

University Games announces triple appointment

Kim Steward

Stephen Woodman

Sally Irwin

University Games and The Lagoon Group have welcome three experienced regional account managers – Stephen Woodman, Kim Steward and Sally Irwin.

Stephen Woodman, account manager for South London and the South East, brings with him a wealth of industry and specialist toy knowledge, having spent many years in the industry at Professor Puzzle and Coiled Spring Games. Before joining University Games, he headed up Recent Toys.

The new account manager for the North of London and the Home Counties is Kim Steward. Kim joins with a vast amount of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and the company says her transferable knowledge and sales expertise will be a great benefit to the team.

Completing the trio of appointments is Sally Irwin, who will be overseeing The Midlands. Sally has experience in both the gift and game industries, having previously worked at Carte Blanche and Wow Toys. Her strong understanding of two of University Games’ strongest categories is considered ‘great news’ for the business and Sally’s customers.

Mark Jones, sales director for University Games, believes exciting times lie ahead for the company following the substantial growth of the sales team. He says he is delighted to have the trio onboard, and that they’ll be bringing ‘even greater strength and depth to the business’.

Hasbro’s Licensed CP team welcomes Gabrielle Sims as head of Softlines

Hasbro has announced that Gabrielle Sims will be joining its UK Licensed Consumer Products team as head of Softlines business. Gabrielle brings a wealth of experience to this new role, having worked in the licensing industry for over 15 years across some of the largest agencies including IMG and, most recently, leading the licensing programme in-house for fashion brand FatFace.

Throughout her career, Gabrielle has built a colourful and diverse network and knowledge of the industry. She has been instrumental in driving the evolution of many entertainment brands, sporting events and character properties into long-term successful licensing programmes and has won numerous awards for her work.

“I am thrilled and extremely proud to be joining Hasbro and being able to work on an iconic roster of brands and entertainment properties, some of which were a big part of my childhood growing up,” said Gabrielle. “It greatly excites me to be returning to this area, particularly to be joining such a fantastic team and I can see so much potential and opportunity within the Hasbro portfolio.”

“We have big growth plans for our UK business and are thrilled to be adding such strong talent to our team,” added Sally Carnota, category Licensing director at Hasbro UK and Ireland. “Gabrielle’s exceptional creativity and commercial experience will take our Softlines business to the next level. We look forward to welcoming her to the team.

Toynamics unveils new area sales manager

Toynamics UK & Ireland has appointed Mark Morgan as new area sales manager South to grow and develop the company's business in the region.

Having undergone a major rebrand at the start of last year, Toynamics UK & Ireland enjoyed double digit growth in its first full year of trading and continues to go from strength to strength.

Mark will handle sales for the Toynamics brand portfolio of Hape, Skip Hop, Timio, DinosArt, Nebulous Stars and Nanoblock across the infant toy category, with a broad selection of lines, from wooden to music, role play, outdoor, ride-ons, games, puzzles, tech, stem and bath toys. He comes with a wealth of experience in the infant games and wooden toy market and across the retail sector, with contacts ranging from Toymaster to AIS and Tillington Group members, as well as multiple garden centres.

Mark joins Toynamics from University Games, where he was responsible for selling family board games, gifts, and puzzles. Previously Mark worked for Juratoys across the Janod, Kaloo and Alex brands.

David Allan, MD at Toynamics UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be expanding the Toynamics sales team. Mark will be focused on growing our business in the South with our independent accounts, as well as developing new business across our ever growing and exciting brand portfolio.”

Mark can be contacted via mark.morgan@toynamics.co.uk.

Disguise recruits pair to lead EMEA market growth

Global costume company Disguise has announced the appointment of two key sales hires to lead the two largest dress up markets in EMEA: the UK and France.

As business development lead for the UK and Ireland, Kim Lucas will oversee the development of the UK business alongside the senior management team. She brings to Disguise apparel experience acquired throughout her career, most recently at Christy’s by Design where she was pivotal in growing the costume business. Kim’s insight into the UK & Ireland licensor-driven dress-up industry, along with her many retailer relationships, will further Disguise’s growth and expansion in these key markets.

Nathalie Ferrier, business development manager for France & Benelux, brings over 20 years’ experience in the toy and dress up industry including years working for Amscan. With a local presence, she will develop the French, & Benelux markets via direct-to-retail, working with local distribution partners and accounts.

“We are excited to welcome Kim Lucas and Nathalie Ferrier into Disguise EMEA,” said Tony Lewis, sales and marketing director, Disguise EMEA. “With their breadth of industry experience in dress-up, they are both sure to drive further expansion into retail and deliver a truly professional service to our customers.”

“The UK and France are Europe’s strongest dress-up markets so it’s critical we have talented and experienced staff running the development and local sales there; Kim and Nathalie are the cream of the crop,” said Tara Hefter, president and GM of Disguise. “We look forward to Kim and Nathalie growing some key and soon-to-be-announced major licences in EMEA.”

Steamforged Games welcomes Ross Thompson as head of trade marketing

Steamforged Games has announced the hire of Ross Thompson as head of trade marketing, supporting its growing offering of board, card, miniatures and roleplaying games.

Ross brings insight and experience from more than 12 years of work across the games field. With his passion for engaging marketing campaigns and dedication for strong gaming communities, he has launched numerous products across the board and built lasting experiences for players.

Ross joins Steamforged Games from Usaopoloy (AKA: The Op), where he worked with pop culture brands, communities, influencers and internal teams to promote The Op’s games. He has also worked with top tier licences from Disney, Marvel and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as companies including IDW Games and CMON.

Toby Davies, commercial director at Steamforged Games, said: “We’re looking to take our trade relationships to the next level. As a seasoned and well-connected professional with a background in big tabletop brands, Ross is the perfect person to help make that happen. It’s a primary aim at Steamforged Games to ensure we’re supporting retailers and distributors worldwide, and bringing Ross on board will help us go above and beyond in fulfilling that commitment. I know I speak for everyone at SFG when I say we can’t wait to see what he brings to the table.”

Ross added: “It’s great to be joining Steamforged at this stage, with so much already achieved and so much potential still to be realised. If the releases and campaigns in the last year alone are anything to go by, there are exciting times ahead. With games like Godtear and Epic Encounters to shout about — and no doubt some upcoming retail releases for its highly successful Kickstarter games — I can’t wait to start spreading the word to retailers around the world.”

Ross joins Steamforged Games along with four new recruits in production and games development.

The Point.1888 appoints Aurélie Dilain-Waclawski

The Point.1888, an agency which counts children’s entertainment giants CoComelon, Blippi, The Raccoons, Moomin and Tom Gates as clients, has taken the next step in its quest to position itself as a leader in toys with the appointment of Aurélie Dilain- Waclawski. Aurélie will take on the newly created role of commercial manager.

Previously licensing contracts manager and brand licensing manager at Hornby Hobbies, where she held the role for almost five years, Aurélie will be bringing to The Point.1888 her vast experience in toy product development, licensee relations and marketing. Having spent a large time as a contracts manager, she will also bring a substantial amount of contract and agreements experience to the commercial team. Aurélie will be working alongside The Point.1888’s clients to support them in bringing their brands to life in the form of new, engaging and highly-sellable toys and wheeled goods.

Bethan Garton, The Point.1888’s commercial director, said: “Our business is built on a retail-first strategy, whereby we create new products based on the gaps we see at retail rather than what we think the brand’s target demographic might like. I have no doubt that Aurélie’s deep insight into the toy sector will ensure we continue to identify the best product opportunities for both our clients and retailers.”

Dan Sugrue joins Snazaroo as channel director

Colart-owned Snazaroo is the UK’s most established face & body paint brand, with an audience spanning parents, young adults, and children. The trusted face paints enjoy a loyal following thanks to Snazaroo’s creative product offering and the fact they are suitable for sensitive skin.

Dan Sugrue, who has been appointed channel director for Snazaroo, previously worked as sales and marketing director for Ercol Furniture. He brings with him a wealth of experience from both this role and previous senior commercial positions held at both Flair and Jazwares.

Dan commented: “The brand has been manufactured in the UK for over 30 years and we now have a brand-new factory in Minehead that opened its doors in June 2021. It’s an exciting time to join the Snazaroo brand and I’m pleased to be on board - I am looking forward to being part of its growth and development. We have some amazing brand partnerships lined up for 2022, and with celebration parties and events back on the agenda, plus a surge of family-friendly festivals, we are expecting great things. We have also already made some fantastic leaps forward with new listings in key toy retailers.”

He added: “As you can imagine, for a face paint brand, Halloween is a very important time of the year. We are all set for the event with fantastic product availability. All indications suggest that Halloween will be the first big party-style event post-lockdown, so we are planning for success. It’s not too late to get your Halloween orders in.”

For more information on Snazaroo, go to www.Snazaroo.com, call 01562 744522, or email sales@colart.co.uk. Dan can be contacted at dan.sugrue@colart.com.