Page 30 - Toy & Hobby Retailers Magazine Feb-Apr 2020

ATA RISING STAR FINALISTS
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY TOY & HOBBY RETAILER
Shine bright
Toy & Hobby Retailer in partnership with the Australian Toy Association present the finalists of the Rising Star Award for 2020.
ANNI ATKINSON
Category Manager Toys & Hardlines – Warner Bros Consumer Products
Culture/colleague empathy
Anni is a valued and appreciated member of the Warner Bros. team. She provides and injection of enthusiasm, positivity and a can-do spirit that is contagious across the team.
Innovation/initiative
Anni has championed Book Week as a key selling time. Partnering with Big W and Rubies, Anni has seen Book Week at Big W firmly established as a key part of the calendar and the number one period for Harry Potter sales across all categories. Harry Potter costume sales at Big W grew 244% in 2019 versus Book Week 2018, a testament to the success of this promotion.
Culture/colleague empathy
As the CEO of
Vuly Play, Joe
leads by example – demonstrating to staff how important it is to treat customers and colleagues with respect. Joe leads by example
to foster a positive workplace culture, embracing unity by joining everyone together for company- provided lunch at the same time each day.
Teamwork
Joe strives for effective communication across
the company, encouraging work as a team rather than as individuals or siloed departments. He shepherded the introduction of the Workplace by Facebook connectivity platform to foster stronger
Whether it's loading pallets for shipping during peak season or guiding the marketing plan, Joe's never far from the action.
Standing in industry
Joe has changed the public and industry perception of what play equipment should be. He is well known for his focus on improving safety – having pioneered safe, springless trampolines with the Leaf Spring rebound system, as well as been an integral part of the panel that developed improved Australian Standards for outdoor product safety.
Innovation/initiative
Product innovation is at the centre of the company that Joe has built. Joe's philosophy that ‘things don't have to be the way they are’ has led to the development of products never seen on the market before including springless trampolines with no dangerous rods or bands and modular swing sets that allow users to spin 360o.
Culture/colleague empathy
Khia is a huge part
of the team culture within the Moose marketing team and the wider team as a
JOE ANDON
CEO – Vuly Play
Teamwork
Anni is a true collaborator, working across internal functions, licensees and retailers to implement fantastic retail activations with Myer, Woolworths and Big W. She understands the strength of being part of a team and is able to motive and engage all stakeholders towards a common goal.
Financial performance
Warner Bros. toy royalties grew 12.5% between 2018 and 2019. Anni played a significant role in driving this growth via a combination of strong licensee and retail relationships, coupled with strong fiscal management.
Ambition
KHIA PLEDGER
Marketing Manager Australia – Moose Toys
Anni worked with MJM to deliver significant growth in the puzzle category between 2018 and 2019 – an incredible achievement in a category we previously believe had been maximised.
Leadership
Anni has played a key role in driving the
WB toy business to unprecedented growth
in a challenging retail environment. She has developed a valuable knack of identifying opportunities early and ensuring WB are in the best position to fill this.
Standing in industry
Anni has developed broad experience in
such a short time, providing her with deep knowledge of the toy and licensing industries. Wotabout Toys, Haven Licensing and Mattel provided Anni with experience from a product development perspective right through to manufacturing, retail sell in and licensing.
communication and collaboration among staff.
Financial performance
Joe's savvy financial sense has guided the business since its inception. His work with the finance team, with particular focus on effective management of cash flow, has seen Vuly grow each and every year.
Ambition
The company mission statement – Contribute to the world by making healthy play both safe and fun – is one of Joe's core beliefs. Having grown Vuly Play from a local trampoline business to
a global leader in outdoor play, Joe plans to continue expanding into adjacent areas of play equipment and into new international markets.
Leadership
‘Lead from the front’ is one of Joe's mantras. His hands-on approach to leadership sees him work closely with every team throughout the company.
whole. Having been the longest standing member of the
marketing team (seven years) she is friends with all and brings with her a can-do attitude and her quirky sense of humour to all that she does.
Teamwork
Khia’s first thought is always about her team, the wider team, how her actions impact others and how she can ensure a positive experience at every turning point. Her team focus is not only well known inside Moose, but all external partners see Khia as an integral, positive contributor to what they execute to support our brands.
Financial performance
Khia has played a pivotal role in the development and launch of massive Moose brand launches over the past seven years including: • The Trash Pack, Shopkins, Treasure X, Little
30 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER FEBRUARY / MARCH / APRIL 2020