With a group of hand picked colleagues set up Merlin Publishing International in 1989 as the Group Managing Director. Merlin took the lead UK market share after our first year and then quickly developed a fast growing International publishing group with six subsidiaries specialising in Collectables. Attracted a good deal of attention until the business was sold to Topp's for $50m after 5 Years. Merlin was the No 1 UK's fasting growing private company in the five years we operated it and won the top spot in the Sunday Independent and Price Waterhouse 'top one hundred' business growth awards.After a 4 year retirement of undertaking Charitable work and supporting Victims of Crime joined the Panini Group on special projects and IC Licensing. Led Panini's entrée into the US Trading Card market in 2009 where we are now the clear market leader. Responsible within the Panini Group for;• Group License acquisition Strategy• The Licensing Machine and Panini Media - the Group’s Licensing Agency• Panini Customised Sales & Services – the Groups Promotional Sales, Premium and Brand Loyalty division.Prior to these positions I worked with W.H. Smith for almost 25 years where a variety of management roles were undertaken. Opened the UK's first Book and General Merchandise Wholesale Cash and Carry operation and then replicated the experience in various key centres around the country. Became the wholesale toy buyer before becoming responsible for all merchandise buying for the WHS wholesale group and managed Smith's largest merchandise wholesale operation in Manchester. In '79 I moved to WHS Distributors and took charge of (amongst other portfolios) Sales, Marketing and Distribution of the Panini UK business.Specialties: Licensing, Sales & Marketing, Business Development