Learning Resources has appointed a new managing director, with former chief operating officer Simon Tomlinson stepping up in to the position, with his predecessor Dennis Blackmore remaining at the Kings Lynn company in an advisory role.
The company said its succession plan would “ position the company to continue its mission of creating the highest quality hands-on educational toys and learning aids”.
The changes, which come into place on May 1, will see Dennis Blackmore continuing his involvement with the company with special responsibility for product and licensing.
He started the company on these shores in 1994 for its US parent, selling into the UK and Europe before branching out into the Middle East, Africa and India. It recently won the master toy license for Numberblocks and now boasts 50 staff and customers across 60 different countries.
“I am incredibly proud to be offered the opportunity to lead a great team of people into the next chapter of Learning Resources and am determined to continue our rapid growth in the toy industry”
Simon Tomlinson
Simon Tomlinson joined in 2017 as head of marketing and moved on to the commercial director role before moving up to COO. He has, Learning Resources said, “overseen the development of marketing and sales strategies, increased the company’s retail footprint and played a key role in shaping the growth trajectory of the company”.
Tomlinson said: “I am incredibly proud to be offered the opportunity to lead a great team of people into the next chapter of Learning Resources and am determined to continue our rapid growth in the toy industry.”
Blackmore said: “This is an exciting next step in our company’s journey. I look forward to watching the company grow under Simon’s leadership, and believe the future is bright for our brands and our team.”
Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, Inc., added: “Dennis has been a visionary global leader for our company and has been a key player in brand building and market development over the past 30 years. I am grateful we have such a capable leader in Simon to take over from Dennis. He is ready to carry forward Dennis’ legacy and strongly committed to make Learning Resources a great place to work.”
