Schleich added seven sales and marketing professionals to its U.S. team. The appointees are Oliver Krause-Huckleberry as head of marketing, Jerry Kurtzweil as director of sales, Jeanie Crone as senior manager, Alinka Griffin and Holly Keebler as national account managers, Chris Swalm as marketing communications manager, and Angela Amos as trade marketing manager.
Krause-Huckleberry joins Schleich with more than 15 years of senior-level experience. Prior to joining Schleich, Krause-Huckleberry was director of marketing for Hartmann USA, program and packaging manager for Procter & Gamble, and channel manager for SCA Hygiene Products.
A 25-year veteran of the children’s consumer products business, Kurtzweil previously worked with licenses such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, Marvel, Hasbro, and Pixar. His career also includes 20 years at Publications International as well as senior roles at toy company Ty Inc. and game publisher Asmodee. Kurtzweil, who is leading the sales team, was promoted to his current post after a year as acting director.
Crone’s background includes 16 years as a retail buyer as well as senior leadership positions in global sourcing, production, and product development for companies such as Phillips Van Heusen and Tommy Hilfiger. Most recently, she served as vice president and national sales manager for Education Development Corporation (EDC).
Amos previously held related posts at McDonald’s, HanesBrand, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and New York Life. She was most recently the head of marketing and communications for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont of North Carolina.
Keebler and Griffin each join Schleich with 15 years of experience in their respective fields—Keeblerin in direct sales and management in the mass, gift, specialty, and digital business; and Griffin in sales, marketing and product development in the toy industry. Most recently, Keebler worked at Mud Pie LLC and IG Design Group, while Griffin worked with brands including Lisa Frank, Savvi Stuff, and Cra-Z-Art.
Swalm joins Schleich from Coveris, where he was the corporate marketing communications manager.
