Hasbro UK marketing chief leaves prior to restructure

Toy manufacturer Hasbro has lost its UK marketing chief, just ahead of a restructuring of the company’s UK operations.

UK business head Mike McCulloch, who was responsible for marketing, left the company earlier this month. It is not known if he had a job to go to.

McCulloch, who was previously sales and marketing director, joined Hasbro in 1995. A spokeswoman for the company says that no decision has been made on a possible replacement for McCulloch.

The restructure, which will see the creation of a single UK group company, has also led to the departure of the regional general manager of Northern European, Alistair Richards. Hasbro says that Richards has resigned from the business because he “did not wish to pursue his career within Hasbro with only UK responsibilities”.

The company has also appointed John Harper, a former managing director of rival toy giant Mattel, to the newly-created position of UK group managing director.

Harper joins from ToysRus.com, where he was head of international business.

The new UK company, which will be headed by Harper, will be made up of the Hasbro toy and games divisions, Grosvenor, Wizards of the Coast and Tiger Electronics. The restructure will be completed in January next year.

Hasbro spends about &£15m in the UK and uses Burkitt DDB to create its ads. Media is bought by OMD UK.