After an illustrious 32-year career in toys, Neil Shinner will retire as CEO, UK and Europe for Moose Toys in June, as Emily Maclennan takes the helm.
Neil Shinner
A highly respected and established leader at Moose, Neil has been instrumental in developing the capability of the UK and European teams, supercharging the company’s growth over the past five years as CEO.
Neil started his career at Worlds Apart, which he was leading in 2018 when it was acquired by Australian toy company, Moose Toys. While at the helm of Moose, the UK office has been recognised as one of UK’s Best Workplaces by Great Place To Work three years in a row.
With Neil’s departure, Emily Maclennan will lead the UK and European business for Moose in the newly created role of general manager – UK & Europe.
Emily Maclennan
“On behalf of the entire Moose family, we’d like to give the greatest thanks to Neil for the remarkable contribution he has made to the toy industry for the last 30+ years. Moose in the UK and Europe would not be what it is today without his calm leadership, exceptional relationships and his innate ability to rally the team towards a common goal. Neil will leave a great legacy not just at Moose, but the toy industry as a whole, and we wish him the best for his retirement; he will be truly missed,” said Paul Solomon, CEO & co-owner of Moose Toys.
“We are confident that the leadership transition, which is already underway, will be seamless as Emily steps into her new role. Throughout her six years at Moose Emily has proven herself as a strong, commercial leader and has the skills and experience to lead the company into its next phase of growth in the region,” he added.
Based at Moose’s EU Hub in Cornwall, Emily will commence her new role on 20th June and will be responsible for all facets of the UK and European business including strategic planning, commercial targets and continuing to foster the team culture Moose is famed for.
Commenting on his career, Neil said, “It has been a truly remarkable journey and I am incredibly proud of the many successes and milestones that have been achieved in my time at Worlds Apart and Moose. I have had the honour of working with and been supported by the most incredibly talented, committed and loyal group of people over the years. I can’t thank the entire Moose team enough for their unwavering passion and to all our industry partners who believed in us and contributed to our growth.”
Emily has held various leadership positions in both the toy and fashion sectors, most recently holding the role of Senior VP, Sales and Marketing for UK & EU at Moose and has been a driving force behind the EU Hub’s commercial success.
Emily added: “It’s been fantastic to have worked so closely with Neil for the past 20 years and I could not have wished for a more supportive mentor. The company’s recent growth has been outstanding and the ever-expanding portfolio of innovative, award-winning products makes it a very exciting time to be leading the Moose team in the UK and Europe.”
