Five new members have recently joined Funko EMEA’s team, filling marketing, sales and account management roles as the company continues to expand. 

Funko EMEA has confirmed a slew of new hires as it proceeds with its efforts to bolster all areas of its rapidly growing business.

Marketing

Sam Wilson

Sam Wilson joins Funko EMEA’s marketing team as marketing director, bringing with her a wealth of industry knowledge and marketing experience. For over 15 years, Sam has worked for high profile brands in the toy industry including LeapFrog and, most recently, MGA Entertainment.

Eva Verhaak – VP of Marketing and Business Development, said: “We’re delighted to have Sam join our growing marketing team in the role of marketing director, EMEA. Sam joins Funko at an exciting time as we continue our expansion across EMEA with our existing and new product portfolio. We are confident that her vast experience will be very beneficial for Funko and look forward to what’s to come in 2023.”

Sam added: “I am absolutely thrilled to be part of such a dynamic and innovative company. The team and I are passionate and dedicated to continuing to make Funko a success with our retail partners. With all the amazing new launches across multiple categories, 2023 is going to be another exciting growth year for Funko.”

Sales

Hazwan Tajuddin

Two new faces join Funko EMEA’s expanding sales force, as Hazwan Tajuddin takes up the role of head of Amazon EMEA and Richard Skidmore onboards as Softlines sales manager.

Moving from Trust International, where he served as senior key account manager for Amazon UK and EU, Hazwan will lead the Amazon account team to support Funko’s expansion.

At Trust International, Hazwan helped to drive the strong growth of the UK region through brand repositioning on gaming, implemented a new deals strategy and oversaw the development of the exclusives programme. Prior to this role, Hazwan was the Amazon Account Manager at Mattel UK for the likes of Barbie, Hot Wheels and WWE.

Hazwan said: “As a fan of movies and anime, I’m excited to be joining the Funko family, with its vast range of licences offering endless opportunities across multiple categories. I look forward to working with the amazing team at Funko and its licensors to drive further growth with one of our key strategic partners.”

Richard Skidmore

Richard, meanwhile, brings a wealth of experience in the apparel industry.  Having joined Funko in September 2022, Richard has successfully grown and developed this area of the business with a number key acquisitions being added to the client portfolio.

Richard commented: “I’m thrilled to have joined Funko and the Softlines team; there are so many opportunities for growth in the Softlines category. I’m looking forward to bringing Funko apparel to retail and to further strengthening and expanding our retail partnerships as well as playing a pivotal role in driving the business forward.”

Account Management

Josh Chapman

Funko EMEA has also appointed two new account managers. Josh Chapman takes up the newly created role of national account manager, joining from Bandai. He will report into Leanne Marlow and work across a number of Key National Accounts as Funko looks to grow and develop these accounts further.

Josh comes with experience in both traditional toy and collector ranges, having worked across accounts such as The Entertainer, HMV, Game/Frasers, Waterstones, Gift Universe and Forbidden Planet during his two and a half years at Bandai. Prior to Bandai, Josh also worked at Mattel for two years across all brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Thomas and Fisher Price.

Josh said: “As a business I have always admired, it is a real privilege to get the opportunity to work for Funko. I cannot wait to play my part in continuing to drive strong growth as we move forward. With London Toy Fair in just a few weeks, I look forward to seeing some familiar faces and celebrating another year in the world of toys.”

Matthew Jones

Matthew Jones joins as key account manager. Matt started his career at a globally recognised video games company, working in supply chain before realising that sales was where his passion lay. Matt then moved to a globally known toy company, becoming part of the EMEA Sales and Marketing team. After four years, he joined a licensed merchandise and video games company as UK sales manager, working with accounts such as Smyths toys, B&M, Game, THG and Gift Universe.

Matthew Jones said of his appointment: “I’m genuinely in dreamland to be part of a massive company like Funko. I am looking forward to working with the highly talented team and also look forward to supporting our highly valued retail partners as we continue to work together to achieve further growth.”