APPOINTMENTS Industry moves
This month, DKL Marketing welcomes brace, Professor Puzzle bolsters its team, Mookie confirms new sales hires, HTI UK MD resigns, Clark promoted at Re:creation and Panini stars as ToyNews’ Team of the Month
TEAM OF THE MONTH
Who’s in the team? Our Panini UK team consists of Mike Riddell, our marketing director; Alan O’Keefe, managing editor; Jessica Tadmor, head of marketing; Paul Dobson, CFO; Rebecca Smith, head of circulation; and Mark Irvine, head of production. Around 30 additional full time staff in accounts, marketing, design and editorial all work to produce a publishing schedule across magazines, comics and more.
What have been your biggest successes in the last year?
It has to be our FIFA World
Cup sticker collection. It’s the biggest selling collectable in the UK this last decade. It took the UK by storm and captured the imaginations and hearts of young and old. We should also mention the success of our Disney Frozen sticker collection and our recent launches of Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First Magazine.
What are you working on at the moment? We have just launched our third One Direction sticker collection and we are gearing up for Disney Planes Fire and Rescue and Disney Princess sticker collection launches.
HTI UK managing director MARK WALLS has resigned from his position at the firm. Walls (pictured left)
has worked for HTI for a number of years and has overseen significant changes to the company. He has left to pursue
interests outside of the toy industry. “Mark has been a real asset to the business and during my short time
DKL MARKETING The firm has bolstered its sales and marketing team with two new hires. SIAN KELLY (left) has joined as sales executive to manage current customers, as well as growing the firm’s business across all ranges it distributes.
Meanwhile, FAREL WILLIAMS has joined as marketing and social media assistant, to control the world of social media at all levels and grow the consumer and trade PR.
MGA The company has bolstered its business across EMEA
with the appointment of a new brand development manager.
PANINI
October sees the launch of our UEFA Champions League sticker collection and trading cards, too.
Hardest part of working in the toy industry? The toy industry is fast paced and ever changing. Luckily in publishing we’re geared up to react quite quickly to new trends and hot licences, but it means we need to constantly keep our eyes on the ball.
And what’s the best? It’s fun and people genuinely have a passion for the industry. We are all big kids at heart, working to deliver products that put a smile on a child’s face.
working with him, he has impressed me with his passion and dedication to the business,” commented CHRIS SPALDING, CEO of HTI Group. “Mark has decided that the time is right for him to pursue other business opportunities and we wish him every success for the future.” HTI is now actively seeking a replacement for the role.
ALEXANDRA BARLTROP
will manage the marketing support service for MGA’s distributors and EMEA direct sales teams. She will also advise on strategic development for the firm’s brands. Barltrop has worked for a host of well-known brands, including Avon, Travis Perkins and Extensis. EMEA MD, ANDREW
LAUGHTON believes Barltrop brings a wealth of valuable strategic knowledge to MGA.
Who’s the team joker? ‘Team joker’ needs to become ‘team jokers’ and this accolade goes to our design and editorial teams. They have a penchant for wrapping desks and computers in foil and slapping Panini stickers onto unsuspecting colleagues.
RE:CREATION REBECCA CLARK has been promoted to the role of
brand manager. Having joined the firm in 2011, Clark will continue to work with brands including Zip Stix, LEGO Lights and Fun Loom. Her role will now expand to include the firm’s recently acquired range of Magic Choc products.
IMC TOYS In line with the company’s current ambitious
expansion plans, IMC Toys has appointed KIRSTEN HENRIKSEN as its new marketing manager. This is a newly
created position and demonstrates a pivotal appointment for the firm, with desire to grow the business over the next few years.
Finally, who on the Panini UK team makes the best cup of tea? We are surrounded by pantone books and it’s a constant competition as to who can achieve optimum perfection. No one has done so yet, so that award is still open for the taking.
CARTE BLANCHE GROUP The group has welcomed CHRIS RAINBOW as head of independent sales. Rainbow spent 19 years at The Wrigley Company, in a number of senior positions.
PROFESSOR PUZZLE Former Coiledspring Games executive STEPHEN WOODMAN has joined the UK puzzle specialists. Woodman spent nearly three years with the firm, heading up its sales department. There he grew the existing client relationships through service experience, as well as developing new client relationships.
MOOKIE A trio of new hires has significantly expanded the firm’s sales team. CLAIRE LYNSKEY has joined as international account manager, while JESSICA MOUNT and RAY HUGHES have both come on board as national account managers.
12 September
www.toynews-online.biz
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