As founder of the British consulting company Gameplan Europe, Andrew Dobbie advises and publishes throughout the world on the consumer behaviour of children and products and markets for children and young people. As former European Marketing Director of Mattel Toys Inc, Andrew Dobbie has an extensive knowledge and many years of experience in the international toy industry.

Axel Dammler is Managing Director of iconkids & youth international research GmbH in Munich, Germany’s largest research institute specialised in kids and youth research. He has been working with young target groups since 1992 and has carried out numerous studies in national and international consumer and media markets.

Catherine De Bleeker was Managing Director of Oxybul, the market leader for educational toys in France, from 2016-2023. She is President of the French section of the Women In Toys association and, as a passionate brand and design ambassador, is always on the lookout for the optimal balance between aesthetics and functionality.

Dean Smith is the co-owner of jaZams toy & book stores. jaZams has been in business for 22 years and has been rated as one of the 25 best toy stores in America. Before becoming part of the jaZamily Dean was an organic farmer.

Disappointed not to find a gift she could feel good about for her daughter on the toystore shelf, Sharon Keilthy quit her consulting job at McKinsey & Company and founded the world’s first eco toystore in 2018 – www.Jiminy.ie, named after Pinocchio’s conscience in the Disney movie. Her vision is that soon, every toy in every store will be sustainable. To that end, she speaks, consults and organises on sustainability in the global toy industry, now with www.SustainabilityWorks.ie, including contributing to Spielwarenmesse Toy Business Forum, Spirit of Play Magazine and Sustainable Collection (formerly Toys Go Green), co-hosting bio!TOY Conference, co-founding Sustainable Toys Action Consulting, and co-founding WiT Sustainability Community.

Jean Youn has over ten years of experience developing toys and kid-adult products not only in the South Korean market, but also Japan and China. His international experience is displayed through his role as the East Asian representative in an international toy jury consisting of toy experts, expanding various different countries and continents.
With his international background and knowledge, he not only judges within the Korean toy industry, but is also involved in various government sectors. As the CEO of Toy Institute, Jean has plans to continue promoting safe and productive toys to parents and children as well as offer consulting on the most recent toy developments.

Jörg Meister studied product design at the FH Coburg. In 2010, after working for five years as an industrial designer for a globally operating company for baby hardware and toys, he joined forces with Eva Stemmer to set up the service agency for product design, consulting and PR with a focus on children’s products.

Keri Wilmot is a pediatric occupational therapist currently living in the Dallas, Texas. With 22 years of experience helping kids of all ages develop motor skills through play. In 2009, Keri began interacting on social media sharing toy recommendations and tips to promote play and development on YouTube, and on her website. In 2020, Keri authored her first book, Wired Differently: A Teacher’s Guide to Sensory Processing Challenges, which was written to give teachers practical strategies and play tips to help children. Keri’s expertise has been frequently featured on television segments and she serves as a contributor, consultant and speaker to companies worldwide.

Sue Warfield has been in the both the Retail and Toy Business for over 30 years. She had been an American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) Member since 2001 having had her own sales representative group as well as a retail store. She served for 7 years on the ASTRA Board of Directors including as chair of the board. In 2014 she joined the ASTRA staff as Membership Director. In 2020, she took on the position of President.

Thomas Wodzicki is an educationalist specialized in games. He also works as a teacher of adult education and project developer for the German Federal Association Spielmobile e.V. Spielmobile is a Germany-wide network of working groups and the proper authority for the gap year, usually taken to do voluntary work in the social sector in Bavaria. n mark (GS) guarantees a high quality of products.

Jennifer Rydén is CEO of the Swedish Toy and Baby Association, which represents the toy, board game and children’s product industry in Sweden as well as member companies from Norway, Denmark and Finland. The association unites retailers and suppliers and promotes safe, innovative and high-quality toys.
She has worked for the association since 2010 and brings with her extensive industry experience, including almost nine years at Simba-Dickie. Her background gives her a deep understanding of market dynamics and the importance of child-friendly products.