RedwoodVentures is kicking off the new year with a new hire and executive appointment.
Gary King, who joined the company last year as executive vice president and general manager, has been promoted to CEO. Additionally, George Funk has joined Redwood as vice president of sales for North America.
King, a former general manager of Crayola, joined the maker of Smooshy Mushy and Smashy Mashy from Cidrines, where he helped the Puerto Rican breadmaking company gain awareness and market share in the mainland U.S. Since joining Redwood last March, King has focused on expanding the global distribution channels for the company as it launched new toy and candy novelty brands, including Foodie Surprise and LuviPups.
“RedwoodVentures has a rich history of product innovation, and we remain committed to bringing new breakthrough products to market in 2020 and beyond,” King says. “Our product innovation will be on display at Toy Fair New York as we expand both our Foodie Surprise and LuviPups lines, as well as introduce several other new brands and categories.”
Funk joins Redwood with decades of sales experience across companies, including YULU, Klutz, TOMY, and others.
“George is one of the toy industry’s most respected sales executives,” King says. “His leadership skills and experience from both the manufacturer’s and distributor’s perspectives will facilitate our growth in 2020 and beyond.”
RedwoodVentures will exhibit its new collection in booth Nos. 1,251 and 1,259 at Toy Fair New York, taking place from Feb. 22-25 at the Jacob K. Javits Center.
Click here to view the Toy Book‘s full coverage of Toy Fair New York.
