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Toys R Us UK appoints Sarah as senior buyer

Toys R Us UK has recruited Sarah Harding to the role of senior buyer of toys.

Dr Louis Mittoni, CEO and managing director of Toys R Us ANZ, said Sarah joins the Toys R Us UK buying and marketing team “with a wealth of toy experience, having commenced her journey with toys more than 20 years ago at Woolworths and Entertainment UK before moving to Hamleys.

“She spent eight years as a senior buyer at Toys R Us before moving to Mothercare and Early Learning Centre. Sarah joins us from Bourne Leisure, and we are delighted to welcome her on this amazing journey of our iconic brand. This takes our senior buying team to over 120 years of experience!”

Changes at

Ravensburger

Ravensburger has announced two new appointments for 2022, boosting multiple teams within the company.

Boosting the operations team, Jonathan Heil joins as facilities manager with 10-plus years of facilities, office and operation management experience. He will report directly to head of supply chain and operations Colin Reeves.

Della Holding is appointed as consumer service advisor and will report directly to head of marketing and product development Katy Fletcher.

Adrian Whyles leaves Playmonster UK

Adrian Whyles, managing director of Playmonster UK, left his post at the end of February at his own request. He said: “I have enjoyed my time at Interplay/ Playmonster, as we have grown the business, built successful brands, and become part of the Playmonster family. There is a great deal to look forward to, in 2022, with the company now in a strong position to build on a global basis under the leadership of CEO Tim Kilpin.

“For me, I feel it is time for a new venture. I’ll take a little break, and then on to the next exciting chapter, wherever that may take me. I wish the UK team and our US colleagues every success for the future. There are some very special people at the company, and it has been my pleasure to work with them.”

The UK team will now report into the recently-announced PlayMonster global organisational structure. PlayMonster’s local sales and marketing team will report to Scott Flynn, global commercial officer.

PlayMonster UK is embarking on a big year in 2022 with a global venture on the My Fairy Garden line, with 11 new edible plants. The Discover, Grow & Play theme - through its Peppa Pig brand along with My Living World and a new licence partnership with WWF - encourages children to interact with nature and discover new ways to play through growing. In addition to the established brands of FabLab and Fuzzikins, also comes the launch of the Ann Williams range, and the introduction of the Spirograph brand.

Mattel names

Ruth as head of consumer products for EMEA

Mattel has appointed marketing veteran Ruth Henrquez as head of consumer products for the EMEA region. In this role, she will oversee the entire consumer products portfolio across all Mattel IP brands, as well as further integration of the CP division into franchise marketing. Ruth has had a successful decade at Mattel EMEA with expert knowledge of all brands, having worked on every brand in the Mattel portfolio both at a local and regional level. She joined the Mattel finance department in 2011 before moving into marketing, and headed up marketing teams in both Italy and the Iberia region, where she accelerated the business in both her appointments. In her most recent role where she relocated to the UK, she was marketing director for EMEA infant and preschool brands including Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends and Fireman Sam.

Hunter Price recruits Nikki Samuels

Brand and licensing expert Nikki Samuels has joined consumer products business Hunter Price International as commercial director, to help guide the successful Manchester-based business, which is on target to exceed its £40 million sales forecast this year.

Nikki, the former licensing director and founder of character product manufacturer Sambro, brings decades of experience and knowledge to the Hunter Price team. He joins as part of the company’s ambitious growth strategy across its core product categories, including toys & activity, stationery & craft, and home & lifestyle.

Following the appointment, co-founder Jeremy Winburn will take on the role of trading director, to focus on the company’s fastpaced reactionary trading business. Nikki will concentrate on the longer-term strategic vision for the business and new business development opportunities.

Hunter Price has established itself as a leading supplier of consumer products for the UK’s top retailers, with a host of successful own brands, such as ToyMania and SplashMania, as well as partnerships with Warner Bros, CoComelon and the Style Sisters. Most recently, the business created and launched the new home & lifestyle brand, Chapter B for TV personality Billie Faiers, which will hit the market later this year.

Bulldog Licensing expands team

Bulldog Licensing has named the newest member of its team as Rocio Fernandez, who joins as licensing approvals co-ordinator.

She will provide product approval support for all licensees, while facilitating communications throughout the product development process. Rocio will also be involved in creating marketing materials for all licensees and licensors, and ensuring assets are organised and delivered to licensees.

A journalism graduate from the University of Miguel Hernández in Spain, Rocio went on to work as a sales associate and also has experience in social media customer care. She has worked for a number of different companies in varied roles, encompassing digital marketing, social networking, video editing, graphic design, event organisation and more, and brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the role.

Bulldog Licensing MD Rob Corney commented: “We’re excited to welcome Rocio to the Bulldog team. She has a wide range of experience at a number of different organisations, and we are looking forward to her further strengthening lines of communications throughout the business and providing support to each of our licensees.”

Rocio added: “I’m delighted to be working with Bulldog Licensing. The agency has a range of really exciting brands, with amazing licensing partners, and I’m looking forward to working with them and helping to make the product development process as smooth as possible, while also working to market the lines once they are ready for launch.”

The Light Fund’s Stephen Gould completes the Ice Mile

With this year’s Light (Licensing Industry Giving Help Together) Fund Channel relay fundraiser only a matter of months away, one of the two team captains - Stephen Gould - has been warming up with an Ice Mile.

He completed the one-mile swim in the middle of January at Hatfield Lake in Doncaster in a water temperature of 4.4°C and air temperature of -0.5°C. Only 434 people worldwide have achieved a similar feat.

Stephen, who has been swimming competitively since he was eight and became an open water swimmer at the age of 21, has gained a reputation for cold water swimming. He has dozens of open water competitions under his belt, including the Thames Marathon, Ullswater, Coniston, Jersey to France and two Channel relays. Now that tally includes the notorious Ice Mile.

But he didn’t just do it for fun. His Ice Mile also helped to raise donations towards this year’s Light Fund target of £250,000, which will be shared by the RNLI and other organisations and projects supported by the charity. Other fundraising initiatives - including a swimmingthemed limited edition beer - have taken the Light Fund over halfway to its target. But there’s still a long way to go.

Which brings us to the main event: this summer, on a day between June 30 and July 3, when weather conditions are right, two boats of six swimmers will be racing each other across the English Channel to France in aid of The Light

Fund. All the participants will be from the licensing industry, trying to be first to make it from Dover to the French coast. The teams are undertaking a tough training schedule, which you can follow at The Light Fund’s Just

Giving page and Instagram feed. The Just

Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/ the-light-fund is also the place to donate.

New face for Moonbug Entertainment

Moonbug Entertainment has recruited Susan Vargo as Head of Live Events, where she is responsible for live events across all of the Moonbug properties including Blippi, CoComelon and Little Baby Bum.

She will lead, oversee, manage and drive Moonbug’s brand and franchise-specific live shows, branded areas, character events and experiences in locations such as theme parks, water parks and attractions. She will be based in the UK head office, working closely with the Moonbug team in the US.

Susan is the Tony award-nominated and Drama Desk award-winning executive producer of The SpongeBob Musical on stage and for television. Before joining Moonbug, she oversaw global creative development for Nickelodeon live entertainment.