Industry Moves

Guy Rooney has been appointed as the new managing director of Pat Avenue UK, taking over from Terry Crew, who steps into a part-time role but remains a director within the business.

Terry joined the company in 2019 when international toy manufacturer Pat Avenue completed the acquisition of DKL Marketing. During his four-year tenure, he successfully managed the integration of DKL into the newly formed Pat Avenue UK and the introduction of several new brands, which were highlighted at the recent London Toy Fair. The company’s brands include Battle Heads, Hama, Keyriders, Breyer and Mascutties.

Guy Rooney joined the team in January 2023 as commercial director in preparation to take over the position of managing director.

Terry commented: “This is really exciting times for the company and is a great period for Guy to assume the reins and help drive the business forwards. I have really enjoyed these past few years and look forward to offering any assistance as and when it is needed.”

Guy added: “I am absolutely delighted to be confirmed as MD and am looking forward to a successful future with Pat Avenue. I would like to thank Terry for all his hard work in the transition period and pulling together a fantastic team.”

Tess Parsons-Broome has been appointed Just Play Marketing communications manager for the UK and will be responsible for delivering the marketing strategy and activations across the UK and Ireland, working closely with EMEA colleagues for a joined up and holistic approach.

Meanwhile, Ali Coates joins as Trade Marketing manager and will be integral to supporting the wider Just Play team and executing trade shows and events.

Anna Chapman, VP Marketing & Licensing EMEA, commented: “Tess and Ali are both fantastic additions to the team and bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience. As we grow, Tess’s role will be crucial to the success of the UK marketing and retail strategy, while Ali’s key focus will ensure the best possible selling interface with our retail partners.”

Tess makes a return to the toy industry from a B2B role, having previously headed up the marketing team at Bandai, with previous stints at Mattel and Vivid.

Ali has over 20 years’ experience in the industry and joins Just Play with an extensive marketing and sales background, including at Vivid and more recently, at Rainbow Designs.

Digital-first eCommerce D2C retailer Toys R Us ANZ Limited has announced the appointment of Simon Cartey to the role of commercial director for UK Toys R Us Limited.

Simon will report to the group CEO, Louis Mittoni, in an expanded role to help drive the growing eCommerce and physical retail business within the UK market. He will retain his responsibilities as VP Store Design and Innovation at WHP Global, which owns the global Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands.

Louis Mittoni said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon to the Toys R Us UK team. Having witnessed first-hand his extensive experience with store design and deep knowledge of the toy industry, we know he will play a critical role in helping us drive growth and profitability for the UK business. We are confident that Simon’s leadership will be instrumental in our success as we continue to expand our digital footprint and look to open physical stores in the coming months.”

In October 2022, Toys R Us launched digital flagship eCommerce websites ToysRUs.co.uk and BabiesRUs.co.uk and announced plans to open physical retail stores in 2023. Last year’s UK eCommerce launch coincided with the successful rollout of Toys R Us shops at all Macy’s stores across the US, marking a return of the brand in two of the top global toy markets.

“I’m thrilled to join the Toys R Us UK team and come full circle, returning home to where I started my career with Toys R Us in 1985,” said Simon. “This is an exciting time for Toys R Us as we start a new chapter and bring the magic of this beloved brand back to families across the UK.”

Acamar Films, the independent producer and distributor of the global hit animated series, Bing, has appointed Katie Rollings to the position of chief licensing officer. Responsible for leading Acamar’s licensing and experiential teams and reporting to Acamar Films CEO Mikael Shields, Katie began her role last month.

“Katie is a brilliant addition to the Acamar team,” said Mikael Shields, CEO Acamar Films. “She brings extensive experience in building global licensing and experiential programmes. As Bing continues to grow in established markets and we launch in new territories, Katie will play a crucial role in identifying new opportunities for Bing and delivering on our targets for growth.”

“Bing is such a powerful and positive property which has won the hearts of thousands of young children and led many successful and award-winning product launches,” added Katie. “I love the way it supports fundamental early-years development with stories which work so well across so many countries and cultures. Bing has such a huge potential for growth, and I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to lead this talented team.”

Katie will evolve Acamar’s strategy to grow successful existing territories – such as the UK, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland – as well as those territories in which Bing has newly launched, such as France and Croatia. As a member of Acamar’s Senior Leadership Team, Katie will advise on the strategic direction of Acamar Films.

Katie’s senior team will include executive director of sales, Natalie Harvey, and director of promotions and partnerships, Kirsty Southgate, to strengthen relationships with key partners. Recently, Acamar Films announced a Bing activation at Chester Zoo and a limited-time Bing promotion across pancake restaurants in the Netherlands, with more partnerships to be announced.

Prior to joining Acamar Films, Katie most recently served as senior director, Global Strategy & New Business Development at Hasbro. She has also held leadership positions at Entertainment One, FremantleMedia UK and Hit Entertainment. During her career she has led strategy and teams on several iconic hit pre-school properties including Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Chuggington and Teletubbies.

In response to accelerated global growth over the past two years for the company’s flagship brand Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and Ghostforce, which has been earning top ratings across Europe, Zag has appointed respected industry executive Mark Kingston to the newly created role of senior vice president, Global Consumer Products.

Mark will report to Julian Jacob Zag, EVP, Global Operations and head of Consumer Products, under whose leadership Zag’s consumer products business has grown exponentially. New offices have been established around the world in Paris, Frankfurt, London, Montreal, Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico City, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Shenzhen, collectively delivering over $1b in retail sales (as of December 2021) for Miraculous.

In his new role, Mark, who will be based in London, will spearhead the ongoing growth of Zag’s consumer products business that includes licensing and merchandising, promotions, gaming and location-based experiences, for all the intellectual properties in the company’s portfolio, including the animated feature Melody, starring singer, songwriter and actor, Katy Perry, which is currently in production.

“Mark is an entrepreneurial, accomplished and results-oriented executive with broad international experience who can spearhead Zag’s licensing and merchandising activities around the globe,” commented Jeremy Zag. “His expertise at Paramount in developing innovative and sophisticated solutions to deliver some of the world’s top-grossing global brands will be invaluable at Zag as we continue to grow, and I look forward to working together with him.”

“Zag’s content resonates with broad audiences around the world, delivering first-class family-friendly storytelling grounded in real life with a little touch of magic to help the characters not only fight supervillains, but also help them to discover themselves, all delivered with a sophisticated cinematic experience,” added Mark. “It’s an incredible opportunity to join Zag, work alongside Julian and lead the respected team of executives as the company continues to focus on developing products and experiences that inspire a new generation.”

Mark joins Zag following an 11-year career in the UK, at Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS/Viacom International Media Networks) where he served most recently as SVP, International Consumer Products, responsible for overseeing and delivering all commercial aspects of the company’s international consumer products division, with team members across multiple disciplines and in 18 countries. Prior to that, he held senior commercial and retail sales and marketing roles at both The Walt Disney Company and BBC Worldwide.

Hasbro has announced two senior appointments to the company’s executive leadership team. Tim Kilpin joined last month as president, Toy, Licensing & Entertainment and Gina Goetter will join as chief financial officer from 18th May, following the company’s Annual Meeting of shareholders.

CEO Chris Cocks commented: “We are excited to welcome Tim and Gina to Hasbro. I am confident that their skills and qualifications will complement Hasbro’s existing leadership team as we execute against our Blueprint 2.0 strategy, which is focused on bringing our brands to life for consumers of all ages, maximizing the value of our IP and creating long-term shareholder value."

Tim Kilpin is uniquely positioned to oversee Hasbro’s multi-billion-dollar toy business, which boasts some of the world’s leading IP and brands. Tim joins Hasbro from PlayMonster, where he most recently served as executive chairman since January 2023 and as CEO from January 2022. His background also includes serving as leader of Activision Blizzard’s Consumer Products business, chief commercial officer for Mattel and as executive vice-president, Franchise Management st The Walt Disney Company.

In his new role, Tim will report to Chris and will oversee Hasbro’s Consumer Products Group.

Gina Goetter brings over 25 years of experience across finance and accounting, with a demonstrated track record in driving strong financial and operational results. She joins Hasbro from Harley-Davidson, where she has served as chief financial officer since 2020. Prior to that, Gina has held senior roles at Tyson Foods and General Mills.

Gina will serve as strategic partner to Chris Cocks, working alongside him and other senior leaders in executing the company’s Blueprint 2.0, which includes a focus on fewer, bigger brands; gaming; digital; and the company’s rapidly growing direct to consumer and licensing business, as well as delivering the company’s Operational Excellence programme and associated cost savings. She will also oversee Hasbro’s global business operations.

Gina’s appointment follows the previously announced retirement of Deborah Thomas, chief financial officer, who will remain at the company in an advisory role throughout the remainder of the year to ensure a smooth transition.

Marianna Casal graduated from City, University of London in 2022 with a first class honours degree in journalism. Since then, she has been honing her journalistic skills by working as a news reporter for the Henley Standard. Her responsibilities there included covering South Oxfordshire’s villages and towns, reporting on everything from court cases, inquests, Henley Royal Regatta and the Henley Festival, to current affairs and features on local celebrities, Olympians and Ukrainian refugees.

Marianna says she is delighted to join the toy trade, and is excited to become part of the industry and meet everyone.

Commenting on her new role, she added: “I am looking forward to bringing my skills to Toy World and Licensing.biz, and learning the ways of this new world. I can’t wait for my first toy show and to just get stuck in with this great team.”

Publisher John Baulch said: “We are very pleased to welcome Marianna to the team. Her writing skills and experience are sure to be huge assets to the company, and we are sure she will fit in well with the Toy World team. We look forward to introducing her to the toy industry.”

DKB has announced the appointment of Grace Burton-Rees as account manager. In her new role, Grace will strengthen the company’s focus on supporting independent retailers as DKB moves further into 2023 with new partnerships and further innovative products.

Grace has been in the toy industry for the last 10 years and will bring with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. The company says she is a very well-liked member of the toy trade and that it cannot wait for her to get started.

Commenting on her appointment, Grace said: “I am thrilled to be joining the DKB team as account manager. The vast range of products is exciting, fresh and on trend, and I can’t wait to learn more about it. It’s an honour to be joining DKB and continue its growing success within the industry.”

Sambro International has strengthened its commercial sales team by appointing Richard Dinham to head up the company’s UK sales operations.

With more than 15 years of experience in the toy sector, Richard joins Sambro from Character Options and, as Business Development director, will lead the UK sales operations, reporting into chief commercial officer Eric Markus to support the global toy company’s pan-European sales growth.

Richard says he is passionate about using his expertise to help harness expansion opportunities with existing and new client relationships. “Sambro is an exceptional company, with some amazing licences and categories within the toy sector,” he commented. “I’m delighted to be joining the company at such an exciting time and look forward to working with the wider team. My immediate focus will be on developing strategic client relationships for the business here in the UK. I’m also looking forward to working with the UK licensor retail teams too.”

Eric Markus, CCO at Sambro, said: “With Richard’s vast range of experience, proven track record of building strong client relationships and passion for driving new business expansion, he is a valuable addition to our senior management team here at Sambro. We are delighted to welcome Richard to the team, knowing that Sambro will benefit from his considerable knowledge of the UK toy market, key customer and licensor relationships.”