Industry veteran Darryl Lai is set to take on the mantle of Managing Director for the Americas at Toikido. The London-based entertainment company is establishing Toikido USA in an effort to bolster Toikido’s brand and merchandising efforts to a worldwide audience. In this position, Lai will report to Toikido’s Chief Commercial Officer, Will Ochoa.
“Darryl brings a wealth of experience, having spearheaded the launch of YuMe toys in the market for many years,” Ochoa says. “He also provides a vital direct presence for us in North America, as we support Retail Monster and PMI to launch our Piñata Smashlings IP, and set the stage for the launch of multiple other new Toikido IP to be announced soon.”
Lai previously spearheaded global development and retail production for toys and collectibles as Maxx Marketing’s Senior Vice President (Americas), working with partners including The Walt Disney Co., Netflix, Marvel, Paramount, and more.
With this new global senior-level appointment — and the many more the company plans to hire in the near future — Toikido looks to launch its licensing program in July. The company has secured several licensing and marketing partnerships in effort to solidify their presence within key markets.
This autumn, Toikido is set to offer a new toy line inspired by the company’s first in-house IP, Piñata Smashlings. In partnership with animation studio Nelvana, the upcoming Roblox game (set to debut in June) will also receive a animated kids show adaptation.
