An international toy company based in Bury has appointed a new finance chief amid ambitious plans to grow the company.

The board of Sambro Ltd, which has headquarters on Dumers Lane, has announced the appointment of Ben Armstrong as chief financial officer (CFO).

At Sambro, Mr Armstrong will work alongside CEO Paul Blackaby to drive forward the firm’s impressive growth plans which include a projected £70m turnover by 2023.

The incoming CFO joins Sambro with more than 20 years of experience in finance, alongside a proven track record of success in implementing strategic developments within the fast-moving consumer goods and retail industries.

Mr Armstrong has a background in private-equity and other investor backed businesses and has extensive international experience, with strong technical and commercial skills across FMCG and retail brands, including EV Cargo and KidKraft Toys & Furniture.

A Chartered accountant and an MBA holder, Mr Armstrong brings a wealth of experience in maintaining strong cash margins, working capital management, alongside a proven record in supporting commercial strategy development.

He said: “Sambro is an outstanding company with a strong portfolio of toy brands and own brand products and I’m excited to join the organisation at this significant time in its ongoing growth.

“I look forward to working with Paul and the leadership team at Sambro to drive growth and ensure its continued success”.

As a leading global supplier for licenced, as well as own-brand toys, Sambro works with multiple properties and licensors, who trust and liaise closely with Sambro to develop licensed toy ranges.

These brands include Disney, Paramount, Mattel, Hasbro, Cosatto® plus licensing agencies such as Bulldog Licensing.

The range of products under these brands is far-reaching and includes household names such as Barbie, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Disney Princess, and Care Bears™.

In 2022, Sambro will distribute over 8m units of character plush toys.

CEO Mr Blackaby added: “Ben is a world-class CFO with a proven track record of driving operational performance and growth across global consumer-facing organisations.

"His leadership and financial expertise will benefit Sambro as we continue to grow, and I look forward to working with him as we embark on the next stage of our journey.”