Rubies, the world’s largest costume company, has appointed Graham Gardiner as its new commercial director.
Gardiner, who has worked with Rubies since 2006, has been appointed commercial director for the UK, Central and Northern Europe. Rubies says the appointment is part of a new strategy to continue the reinvigoration of the business.
Graham’s brief will be to oversee the company’s sales strategy and product lifecycles, and to manage all new business in his territory.
Rubies says he was a natural fit for the job, since Graham has already been heavily involved in those aspects in his previous role as general manager for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).
“Commercially, Rubies couldn’t be in better hands. With the combination of over 30 years of experience in the industry and 16 at Rubies, Graham understands the company direction and 365 business plans thoroughly,” commented Mike O’Connell, managing director at Rubies. “A natural evolution from his existing role as general manager EMEA, the role of commercial director will be the driving force behind Rubies new forward-thinking vision while spearheading new trade initiatives.”
In fact, Rubies says Graham has been a critical player in the company’s business growth, retail relationships, and sales globally, and particularly in the Middle East, Europe, the CIS nations, and Asia.
Graham has previously worked with other major players in the toy and licensing industries, including Hasbro, Mattel, and Kids2.