Golden Bear expands team with new hires

The appointments come following the company’s recent sales growth as it invests further into its sales and marketing capabilities and design facilities.

Caroline Martin

Golden Bear has announced the appointment of five new hires across its sales, marketing and creative departments.

Caroline Martin and Jonathan Williams have been appointed to the roles of senior brand manager and national account manager respectively. Caroline will work closely with the brand team to implement and progress processes and strategies to best support new product development based on consumer insight and trend research. She brings to the role 20 years of leading product and brand abilities with diverse, cross-sector experience and a strong record of change and transformation management. Jonathan will lead the management and growth of the company’s major UK retailer accounts. He comes equipped with 20 years’ experience in sales, 10 of which have been for major accounts, and having worked with market leading global brands.

Jonathan Williams

In addition, Kate Goss joins the business as creative manager, Heather Preece as graphics designer, and Niamh Beer as digital marketing coordinator. As a creative team leader with strong commercial acumen, Kate will be maximising the team’s output, overseeing asset creation, design and management for all areas of the business. In turn, Heather will be working alongside Kate to create engaging, innovative artwork, packaging, style guides and presentations, helping to shape the visual presence of Golden Bear’s brands for the digital and physical marketplace. Niamh joins the growing digital marketing department, where she will focus on driving sales via owned online channels – and those of retail partners – while also developing the company’s website, virtual sales tools and social media platforms.

Commenting on the appointments, Barry Hughes, managing director, Golden Bear Toys said: “It’s a fantastic time to be joining Golden Bear. We’re experiencing a period of growth in an evolving business, seeing vast innovation throughout our brand extensions and an ongoing commitment to the development of new and exciting products and properties. I’m delighted to be welcoming each of our new members to the team.”

IMC Toys announces new office and hires

Strengthening its UK presence, IMC Toys has announced two new hires as well as a new, more centrally-located office in Oxfordshire.

IMC hires John Gray and Katie PetittJohn Gray joins IMC Toys as operations & logistics manager, bringing with him a wealth of toy sector experience, having previously held positions with Mattel, Mega Brands, Spin Master and MGA.

Katie Petitt also joins IMC Toys as account manager, after previously working in buying roles for both Debenhams and Toys R Us.

IMC Toys’ new UK office, meanwhile, is based near Banbury in Oxfordshire, which the company says offers greater accessibility to both visitors and the growing team.

Sue Barratt, IMC UK country manager, said: “I’m delighted to formally welcome both John and Katie to the IMC UK team – they both joined at the start of lockdown so it’s been an interesting start for them both as we navigate the challenges of the new post-Covid world together. The company’s investment in both people and infrastructure in the UK further signals our commitment to this market. As well as continuing to grow our Cry Babies brand, we’re growing our portfolio even further this year with the exciting new collectable pet-doll range, VIP Pets.”

The launch of VIP Pets was announced on 1st July. Joining the company’s portfolio of collectible pet-doll ranges, VIP Pets are aimed at children aged five and over, and tap into the evergreen appeal of cute pet characters, teamed with current surprise reveals and creative hair styling trends. A new series of animated webisodes accompanies the launch and features 21 five-minute episodes on IMC’s official YouTube channel, Kitoons. The launch of VIP Pets will be supported with a full marketing campaign including TV advertising, digital content, PR, social media and influencer collaborations. More information can be found here.

For more information on Cry Babies, VIP Pets and other ranges by IMC Toys, please contact info.uk@imctoys.co.