Page 38 - Toy & Hobby Dec-Jan 2020

FAMILIAR FACES
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Familiar Faces
Familiar Faces profiles key individuals in the Australian toy industry.
ANDREW MCGREGOR
Artiwood Managing Director
How long have
you been in your current role?
I’ve been a co-owner of Artiwood Australia since my business partner and I acquired the company in 2015.
What does your day-to-day look like?
I wear many hats. My day often starts with calls to suppliers in California like Apple Park and finishes with calls to Europe. In between you’ll find me catching up with key customers, coaching staff or planning a marketing initiative. Growth also brings new challenges.
For example, we recently expanded the team with a marketing hire in Melbourne. I’m now focused on bringing them up to speed as quickly as possible.
What is your favourite aspect of your role?
Artiwood is a key distributor for many of the brands it supports. Companies
like Kinderfeets and Indigo Jamm consider us part of their team. As a result, we’re actively involved in product development, quality improvement and business planning at a global level. It’s inspiring to work
so closely with some of the industry’s smartest players.
What is the most challenging aspect of your role?
Customer satisfaction and employee morale always keeps me awake at night. Happy customers and motivated staff are fundamental for a healthy business and sustainable, long-
term growth. We don’t always get it right but we’ll never stop trying to improve.
What are the opportunities in the industry?
I think a growing backlash against screen time and disposable consumerism offers plenty of scope for creative play. No plastic, no gimmicks and no batteries. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the success of relatively simple products like Kinderboards and WeDo Games.
What stands out as a highlight from your career?
Owning Artiwood has been a life changing experience. Every day has me leveraging decades of international business and global marketing experience. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch Artiwood double in size, win Supplier of the Year and secure rights for global brands like Bigjigs Toys & Rail.
Bigjigs Rail.
38 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER NOVEMBER / DECEMBER / JANUARY 2020