The Toy Association, the business trade association representing a wide array of manufacturers, retailers, licensors and others involved in the youth entertainment industry, has announced that Jeff Snyderman will join the company as chief financial officer, and Maria Sierra will join as vice president of government affairs.
Snyderman brings nine years of direct CFO experience to his new role, including seven years as executive vice president and CFO at Horizon Group USA, a Toy Association member company. Prior to that, he spent 16 years at Toys “R” Us Inc., where he held various finance roles, culminating in eight years as vice president of finance. In that position, he led a 125-person team across New Jersey and India, overseeing all facets of the company’s financial operations.
He joins the Toy Association, effective immediately, and is responsible for leading the organization’s finance, insurance, investment, IT and facilities operations. Snyderman will report directly to Greg Ahearn, president and CEO, and will be based at the association’s headquarters in New York. As part of this transition, Human Resources will now report to Katherin Belliveau, chief policy officer, drawing on her compliance and labor expertise.
“As we continue to increase our member offerings and address the rapidly evolving needs of the industry, we’re putting the right resources and tools in place across the organization,” says Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of The Toy Association. “We are looking forward to serving our members and supporting them to grow in their businesses into the future.”
Also joining The Toy Association on Sept. 29, Sierra will step in as vice president of federal government affairs. Based in Washington, D.C., Sierra will provide The Toy Association with a dedicated on-the-ground presence with federal lawmakers and will report directly to Belliveau. An attorney, Sierra previously worked as director of international trade policy at the National Association of Manufacturers and served as policy advisor to U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), where she worked on many issues, including IP infringement, toy knockoffs and counterfeits.
In addition to Snyderman and Sierra, The Toy Association has also recently added Lindsey Hueer to the organization in August as senior manager of state government affairs.
