Industry Moves

Epoch welcomes new managing director Phil Hooper

With an extensive career in the toy industry, including more than 12 years with Spin Master and, most recently, as MD of construction toy firm Plus-Plus UK, Phil officially took up his new position with Epoch on 1st September.

Phil is Epoch’s latest new senior hire, as the business embarks on a significant period of growth-driving for its brands Sylvanian Families, Aquabeads and Epoch Games. Phil will be responsible for setting the strategic direction and driving continued growth for all divisions within Epoch and joins the senior leadership team.

Shusuke Yamagata, current interim managing director at Epoch, and Epoch HQ executive manager, said: “We’re confident that Phil’s wide experience of the various and important areas of the toy business will be incredibly valuable to his role as MD at Epoch Making Toys. We’re excited to tap into his vast knowledge and welcome him to this significant role.”

Phil commented: “I’m thrilled to be joining Epoch and looking forward to working with the team on strategies to further cement the reputation and sales success of our brands, Sylvanian Families and Aquabeads. Equally, we have extensive plans to grow the Epoch Games brand even further on the back of the success to date with Super Mario.”

Gibsons appoints UK sales manager Tabitha Ward

Previously Sales director at Abrams & Chronicle, Tabitha was the driving force behind the company’s gift sales, recruiting and managing a team of specialist field agents and selling a wide range of brands including Galison, Ridley’s Games and Games Room alongside licensed puzzles and games from Lego, Disney, Marvel and Star Wars to key accounts.

Amanda Chaplin, commercial director at Gibsons, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Tabitha to the team. Tabitha’s extensive background and knowledge in the toy and publishing industries will undoubtedly drive our UK sales to new heights. We’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact she will make at Gibsons, particularly in the run up to Q4.”

Tabitha said: “I couldn’t be happier to be joining the team - the Gibsons catalogue is one that I’ve long admired for setting a market-leading standard in puzzles and games. Having been a family-owned and run British business for over 100 years, the company’s experience and expertise really shines through in the design and quality of its products. On a more personal level, the fantastic work the team has done in reducing its environmental impact, removing plastic from products and making strides towards becoming carbon neutral and B-Corp certified are all initiatives that resonate strongly with me.”

Claire Coekin steps into new role at Plus-Plus

Claire Coekin has stepped up to the role of commercial director of Plus-Plus UK & Ireland from the 1st September, as Phil Hooper, managing director, has made the decision to leave the company.

Claire joined Plus-Plus in February this year and has been instrumental in building a strong sales team, working alongside Phil, to get Plus-Plus on the map. Claire, previously of Spin Master and Funrise where she held Sales manager roles at both companies, has years of man-management and commercial experience and is excited to lead the team in the UK & Ireland going forward.

Claire commented: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to spearhead the team and continue to develop Plus-Plus in the UK & Ireland. I am so passionate about the brand and its place in the market, and I’m thrilled to be taking the lead to continue the great groundwork we have put in place in a very short time. The future is very exciting.”

Plus-Plus said it would like to thank Phil for setting up and developing the launch of the brand into the UK. “Phil has done a fantastic job of building a team, setting up the logistics function, opening doors and building distribution to ensure that Plus-Plus has had the best start to its independence in the UK and Ireland market,” said Martin Pihl, CEO Plus-Plus A/S. “We’re very sorry to see him move on so soon and we wish him well for his future, whilst I’m thrilled to see Claire stepping into her new role.”

Peers Hardy swells team with new sales agents

Due to the growth of its character watch, jewellery and accessory collections, as well as the hugely successful launch of Wow Generation, Peers Hardy has expanded its team and is delighted to announce five new sales agents to help service the company’s ever-growing number of retailers.

Peitr Cutler (North), Hannah Stanion (Midlands), Jim McRandle (NI and Rep of Ireland), Graham Burnett (Scotland) and Jean-Claude Bergot (South-East) have all joined the team and are already utilising their vast experience and close relationships with customers to help grow Peers Hardy’s exciting branded portfolio.

Peers Hardy has seen a large increase in sales within independent toyshops thanks to its affordably priced character licensed watches, jewellery and Disney keychain collections featuring the likes of Lilo & Stitch and The Nightmare Before Christmas. The imminent launch of shaped clocks featuring licences such as Beetlejuice, Zelda and Friday the 13th, has seen such impressive pre-sales that the company is already introducing a further seven designs to launch in September.

Wow Generation has been an overwhelming success since it was first showcased at London Toy Fair. The company said: “Retailers have really taken to the brand and the striking way the products are presented. Toymaster members have been particularly supportive, and with recently secured listings in both Dobbies Garden Centres and WHSmith, Christmas 2023 looks set to be a busy period. Further new ranges will be launching in September which feature some amazing gift lines for Christmas.”

Peers Hardy is best known for its 50-year history in the watch industry, and its Tikkers brand has been instrumental in helping children learn to tell the time for the past 25 years. Tikkers is experiencing growth with the introduction of child safe smart watches and smart watch and earbud sets. This year has also seen the launch of collaborations with the Worldwide Fund For Nature (WWF) and the RSPB, where money raised from sales goes towards helping the work of each charity.

There are still a few territories to cover and, as its success continues, the company is seeking further sales agents to round out the team.

Generation Media makes four key appointments

Generation Media, a leading independent specialist for communication to children, families and gamers, is forging ahead with continued growth of its inhouse digital strategists and buyers after a successful year of new business wins including Bethesda and PlayMonster.

The team was strengthened at the start of the year with the appointment of associate director, Tom Bridge, who has over seven years of experience in the entertainment and gaming industry. Having worked on both client and agency side and on brands including Nintendo, Sony Pictures, Ubisoft and Odeon, Tom is well placed to deliver stand out campaigns for Generation Media’s host of clients.

Emilie Flanders, senior Digital manager, joined alongside Tom with a background in the film, music and gaming space, managing clients such as Penguin Random House and Warner Music.

Brad Cunningham, senior Digital Operations manager, was appointed to further enhance digital reporting and optimisation. Brad has worked across multiple global agencies in the mobile sector and numerous large-scale gaming clients on both iOS and Android.

Callum Pettit also joined Generation Media last month, as senior account manager, bringing with him a wealth of experience in digital planning and buying, with over five years’ experience at two major networks across entertainment clients including PlayStation and Universal.

Lisa Morgan, managing director of Generation Media, commented: “We are continuously reviewing how we best meet the needs of our clients to deliver the very highest level of service. Our continued investment into growing our digital expertise is testament to our long-term commitment to our clients and staying at the forefront of the media industry and the ever-evolving digital landscape.”

Ravensburger appoints Disney Lorcana category and sales manager for the UK

Ben Lovell joins Ravensburger from Tournamentcenter, where he has been one of its experienced Organised Play managers since 2019. With more than eight years’ experience in the TCG sector, he’s worked across hobby stores and events before expanding his knowledge into organised play. Ben is also an enthusiastic gaming fan and attended events and championships across a variety of TCG IPs, giving him a richer insight into the growing sector.

In this newly created role, Ben will be responsible for securing and building long-term relationships with Disney Lorcana’s strategically managed retail partnerships. He is tasked with expanding Ravensburger’s TCG-focused retail partners and ensuring that Disney Lorcana has strong visibility across all sectors, including specialist and hobby stores, convenience, grocer and key account retailers.

In addition to his retail responsibilities, Ben will be responsible for building a community of UK Disney Lorcana fans, as well as organising B2B events across the UK. Working closely with the games marketing manager, PR manager and social media manager, his overall objective is to ensure that Disney Lorcana becomes an early leader in the TCG category not only in the UK but internationally. Ben has already overseen the launch of Disney Lorcana at hobby stores in August, followed by its global unveiling on Friday, 1st September.

Derek Scott, head of Sales, Ravensburger UK, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ben to the team. His experience and wealth of knowledge in TCGs is unrivalled and we know we’re lucky to have him join the business at such a critical, but exciting time.”

Ben added: “Joining Ravensburger UK in Disney Lorcana’s launch month was not dissimilar to revealing you’ve got a perfect deck of cards. I can’t wait to see how both TCG fans and new players embrace the game. We’ve a huge amount of work to do, and plenty of opportunity to build on. I’m relishing the challenge ahead.”