Rubies Masquerade is bolstering its expertise within the toy and dress-up industry with an internal promotion and two new hires.

Following the change of role for Georges Ghougassian to Director of Licensing & Brands, Rubies has appointed Caroline Masson to lead the company’s EMEA Brand & Marketing initiative.

Caroline has spent the last five years at IMC France as Senior Marketing Manager and was previously Rubies France Senior Marketing Manager. Prior to that, she worked across sales and marketing at European level. A Rubies spokesperson says: “Caroline will bring a unique combination of a wealth of experience and fresh new ideas to the team to become the driving force behind Brand and Marketing”.

Georges has been with Rubies for 15 years and brings to the role a wealth of knowledge regarding the company and industry. He was previously the Country Manager for Rubies France, responsible for the relaunch of the brand nationally in 2008 as well as establishing company strategy for, and managing, sales, marketing and finance.

Prior to this, he was Mattel France’s Head of sales, overseeing import and export for seven years, then in 2006 became the Country Manager and Founder of IMC Toys’ France subsidiary, enjoying a very successful 15-year period in the role.

Georges will play an important role in senior management, delivering a dynamic plan for Rubies’ B2B business strategy across EMEA, as well as expanding the DTC operational network that supports all channels.

Aurélie Dilain-Waclawski has also joined the company, as Licensing Manager EMEA. With experience in drafting and reviewing contracts within the UK and overseas as well as expanding customer bases, Aurélie fits into the Rubies team perfectly with her ability to adapt to current and prospective market trends.

Aurélie’s extensive career in the licensing industry includes stints as Brand Licensing Manager for Hornby Hobbies, and as Commercial Manager for The Point.1888.

Aurélie, Georges and Caroline will all be working directly with Rubies Managing Director Mike O’Connell and the wider Pan European Teams at Rubies Masquerade.

Mike O’Connell says: “As the company prepares for expansion to support growth, following successful remodelling, we are constantly reviewing our internal structure to ensure we can pivot and cater to the demands of the market. Georges’ experience is unquestionable. The appointment of Caroline to focus on brand and marketing has everybody excited, and Aurielle, like Caroline, brings a wealth of experience and shares the passion and drive that is at the heart of everything we are doing.”