Hi, Tom! We didn't get much time to chat at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair and I'm looking forward to seeing you at NY Toy Fair. Thank you for taking time for a tBR interview now! Please share with our readers what you do in our industry.

I’m the Vice President in Sales for CONNETIX across North America, Latin America and South Africa, my role focuses on driving sales growth and building our brand across local teams. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in the toy industry since 1988, and have enjoyed my time immensely in all those years. I started my career with Lego, one of the largest construction and toy companies in the world, and now I’m here with CONNETIX, a new company on the scene that’s making big waves in the 80+ countries we sell in, and we’re just getting started in the United States! 

Having had a lot of experience across all areas of the industry, from sales to marketing, operations, inventor relations, manufacturing (you name it!), as well as being an active committee member of the Toy Industry Association and the Toy Foundation, I’ve always enjoyed the strong sense of community and opportunities to collaborate with some really incredible people – and at CONNETIX, we have a full bench of talented and experienced individuals with their own expertise.  

Why and how did you get into the Toy and Game industry? 

After finishing college, I had an opportunity to work for Lego to run a territory in South Texas, which ignited my passion and love for the industry. As a role that offered extensive travel that massively appealed to me, from travelling to Billund in Denmark to attending my first New York Toy Fair, and breaking barriers in the international market in Hong Kong, they were such defining moments in my early career. 

 
Fast-forward to today, I've covered a few million airmiles all across Asia, Latin America, South America, Europe and North America – which I'm incredibly grateful for and why I'm thrilled to be a part of the global CONNETIX team. Travelling has always been about building relationships, finding out how we can best service and deliver products to each of those countries, and that’s exactly what we’re all about at CONNETIX. We work together to leverage our strengths and knowledge of diverse international markets to build strong, long-term partnerships – that ultimately create valuable opportunities for our brand.  

What trends do you see in toys or games that excite or worry you? 

Experiencing high, double-digit growth it’s pleasing to see the Construction Toy category trending really well. Obviously, there’s a lot happening in the creative play space and with the rise of kidulting, but we’re also seeing brands like CONNETIX placing a strong focus on the importance of STEAM and MESH learning through play. Parents just want to give their kids something they can help create and expand their minds in an incidental, yet fun way.  

What advice can you give to inventors who are presenting new toy or game ideas to you? 

I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of inventors, they’re just the nicest people, they try to figure out a way to enhance your product or create something entirely new. What I would say to our inventor community is take a look at our core line of CONNETIX, and think about how we can bring new dimensions or themes that enhance and complement the open-ended play value of our range. At the same time, wondering how we can extend play possibilities for kids as well as older children, as we know play starts to become more sophisticated and with a bigger focus on game-like features at that age.  

What advice would you give a young adult graduating from high school or college today? / What advice do you have for people starting in the industry? 

What I always share the biggest thing is to listen a lot, take notes, say less, ask smart questions, but most importantly – network, network, network! I have friends right out of college that I still tap into today, there’s always an opportunity to learn from others and that will help to figure out what interests you – and if you want to be really good at anything, you have to genuinely enjoy what you’re doing.  

For me, as I enter the ultimate phase of my career, what drives me is the wins, and the whole process of developing and planning that can lead to success. Nothing is so cool and gratifying as putting something together and landing it, knowing that it should stick – although, we know that’s not the end of it all! 

What and/or who inspires you? 

Waking up each day, knowing there is a challenge out there, an opportunity that might lead to something to grow the company sales or the distribution, in a country or space we hadn’t figured out yet.  

I really am inspired by our leadership; put simply, you get what you see and see what you get! Brea and Dave lead by positivity, and they’re consistent in the way they manage the company and support our team. I can honestly say the people of CONNETIX put a smile on my face every time I see them. Having the opportunity to work so closely across all departments – it’s all positive. We’re all driven by a shared vision to inspire learning through play, and that’s what I love, there’s something special going on here!  

(The end of Tom's cycle ride from Houston to New Orleans in 6 days - the Tour du Rouge, a charity event for the Red Cross.)

How do you recharge or take a break? 

Personally, I stay physically active doing a mix of different things I enjoy, like going to the gym, cycling and yoga. I often head up to Colorado where I unwind by doing lots of mountain bike riding, climbing and fly fishing. And of course, reading, I love thrillers! Spy stories by Jack Carr, he’s one of my new favorite authors – the ex-Navy SEALs guys, they’re just so talented! 

(Tom and his niece fly fishing in Colorado, where Tom grew up! )

Thank you for taking time to answer our questions thoughtfully and with a sense of play!