MGA Entertainment’s new MD, Sara Taylor, speaks exclusively to Toy World about how product and people are helping the company overcome recent challenges.
When the opportunity to take up the helm at MGA UK & Ireland was presented to her, Sara says she was ready for both a change and a challenge. This stalwart of the toy industry has some three decades of experience behind her and is highly respected for her expertise and knowledge, as well as her warm leadership style – and all these qualities have an integral part to play in her plans for MGA Entertainment.
“The big question for me was whether I wanted a 20+ year career at Spin Master or a new direction,” she explains. “The need for change won out, and I must be a sucker for hard work too. Even before I took up the post, I was fully aware of the challenges I’d be inheriting. This is my second month here and not only is it clear what needs to be done, it’s achievable too.”
Sara is more than happy to address that like the toy market as a whole, MGA has had a challenging couple of years (though not in terms of sales or brand performance, which continue to be deeply impressive). Sara joins MGA as the company is transferring all its UK stock to a new, one-site warehouse. Sara has already penned a personal letter to the trade, thanking it for its patience and promising change.
“There are two things that are very important to me: product and people,” says Sara. “Clearly, we have the former – MGA Entertainment owns several top-performing brands across several categories – and it also has an exceptionally strong team of people.”
Sara is driving a collaborative approach with kindness at its heart. She’s a warm and empathic leader, the kind people naturally respond positively to. Sara says the culture at MGA is better than she expected it to be: In fact, she says it’s superb.
To find out what else Sara had to say on upcoming product launches, her goals for the company and why she believes MGA Entertainment should be considered an aspirational place to work, read the full interview published in the October issue of Toy World by clicking here.
