Oliver Raeburn to join Hornby as CEO in early 2023 from Paperchase

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, Fireline said:

Oh great. Another grocer....

Actually a lot of hos experience as a marketing director was at a bookies (Coral).  He has an interesting history as far as some of his roles are concerned but if what appears in various places on the 'net is any guide he looks like exactly the person to sort out Hornby's marketing confusion and shortcomings.  Whether or not he will have sufficient knowledge of their wide range of brands and products, plus the huge differences between various markets in Britain, let alone abroad, to be able to do that to best advantage remains an open question and - as usual - time will tell.

 

Similarly his ability to get the right people into the right posts within a company is something many of us never really think about but in my view it will be key to making a success of his new role.  But if he manages to sort some of Hornby's confused marketing messages and standards of information about its products - or finds the right people to do that - he'll be doing the company a service.  But I do note that apart from one post he held for 6 years (before progressing to another role in the same company) he has spent no more than a couple of years or so in all the senior jobs he has held in listed companies although obviously he might well have been head-hunted from them.  I suspect it will take him  a year or so get a full understanding of Hornby's business and move beyond a few relatively minor tweakings but if he talks to retailers he'llI soon find out where some of them are needed (nothing to do with either Tiers or  'allocation' etc).  I wish him well

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, CUCKOO LINE said:

Before Paperchase he was Brand Director Ladbrokes and Coral then  Marketing Director Rank Organisation 

 

Chairman of ICI??

I wonder where Hornby will be getting their pen and paper supplies from now on?

 

Mike.

[Johan DC]

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Where would we like the CEO to come from?

 

RMweb, it seems. Plenty of candidates!

[1andrew1]

22 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Where would we like the CEO to come from?

I guess the dream would be from a very successful a multi-brand model company with online and third party sales, from another country.

 

The closest to this would be is probably the Simba Dickie toy group owners of Marklin, Majorette die cast cars and Tamiya's continental distributor, alongside running many toy brands. 

Edited November 18, 2022 by 1andrew1

[The Stationmaster]

11 hours ago, 1andrew1 said:

I guess the dream would be from a very successful a multi-brand model company with online and third party sales, from another country.

 

The closest to this would be is probably the Simba Dickie toy group owners of Marklin, Majorette die cast cars and Tamiya's continental distributor, alongside running many toy brands. 

The way they have grown and the way their management has been developed suggests to me they'd be more likely to takeover/absorb Hornby rather than see one of their key managers spirited away to run Hornby Group.  Interestingly their website doesn't list Märklin as one of their key brands.

 

I see nothing wrong with Hornby brining in some one from outside their range of businesses provided that person is someone who can lead and manage a company with a wide range of brands across a number of differing markets and countries and which outsources its manufacturing and distribution.  He doesn't need to have been playing with trainsets or Scalextric since he was 5 or making Airfix kits since he was 9 or necessarily be able to speak numerous foreign languages but he does have to be able to a company with a diverse range of brands and get the right people in place to do that.  

 

Smaller companies undoubtedly benefit from enthusiasm and knowledge of their owners in helping to define, understand, and profitably build their markets.  Hornby is in many respects way beyond that stage except, probably, in the shape of its individual brand managers.

Edited November 18, 2022 by The Stationmaster

[BachelorBoy]

13 hours ago, 1andrew1 said:

The closest to this would be is probably the Simba Dickie toy group 

 

Simba Dickie??

 

[spamcan61]

9 minutes ago, BachelorBoy said:

 

Simba Dickie??

 

https://uk.simba-dickie-group.com/en/home/

[Johann Marsbar]

10 minutes ago, BachelorBoy said:

 

Simba Dickie??

 

 

He's from Billericay, and he's doing rather well.........

[adb968008]

On 17/11/2022 at 11:07, Oldddudders said:

Where would we like the CEO to come from?

I think She/He could come from any industry, but if she/he was a railway enthusiast, or had a railway interest it would go further than any ceo who does not know the industry.

 

This is what I see as the difference between the successful model railway companies and the unsuccessful ones, as this is a niche hobby. if you dont get it, you wont succeed as its not confirming to many other industries.

 

I called out “she” too. I think a female CEO at Hornby maybe better than a male one.

 

However reading the new CEOs background, and more importantly calling out specifically from his CV, regarding bankruptcy recovery and sell off, to me is a bit worrisome. I am glad I am not a shareholder.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by adb968008

[adb968008]

5 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

The way they have grown and the way their management has been developed suggests to me they'd be more likely to takeover/absorb Hornby rather than see one of their key managers spirited away to run Hornby Group.  Interestingly their website doesn't list Märklin as one of their key brands.

 

I see nothing wrong with Hornby brining in some one from outside their range of businesses provided that person is someone who can lead and manage a company with a wide range of brands across a number of differing markets and countries and which outsources its manufacturing and distribution.  He doesn't need to have been playing with trainsets or Scalextric since he was 5 or making Airfix kits since he was 9 or necessarily be able to speak numerous foreign languages but he does have to be able to a company with a diverse range of brands and get the right people in place to do that.  

 

Smaller companies undoubtedly benefit from enthusiasm and knowledge of their owners in helping to define, understand, and profitably build their markets.  Hornby is in many respects way beyond that stage except, probably, in the shape of its individual brand managers.

Personally I question the value of some brands, and some markets they are serving.

Consolidation, rather than empire building may be better.

its better to do fewer things with excellence, than a lot of things that struggle.

Further, as the UK is the only developed country expecting to be declining back living standards for the next 5-7 years, focusing some aspect on overseas markets maybe better, as all other developed countries are forecast to grow, especially as the UK model railway market is both saturated and inflated.

Edited November 18, 2022 by adb968008

[NCB]

25 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Personally I question the value of some brands, and some markets they are serving.

Consolidation, rather than empire building may be better.

its better to do fewer things with excellence, than a lot of things that struggle.

Further, as the UK is the only developed country expecting to be declining back living standards for the next 5-7 years, focusing some aspect on overseas markets maybe better, as all other developed countries are forecast to grow, especially as the UK model railway market is both saturated and inflated.

Hornby into American TT  anyone?

[andyman7]

A good CEO does not need to be a 'subject matter expert' for every aspect of their business. What they do need is to be an effective team builder so that they have the right people around them, experienced and not 'yes-men'. There is a great deal wrong with the merry-go-round of executives and their pay, but that does not mean that the qualities needed to lead a business are the same as those with expertise in the various product fields.

 

Very rarely, a company gets an exceptional talent in charge who has both a level of expertise to be able to exercise a degree of specialist judgement and have the detachment, business acumen and judgement not just to pursue their own hobbyhorses. But that doesn't happen often. 

 

It's worth remembering that (going back in time) both Meccano (Hornby Dublo) and Triang collapsed because their managements were old-school time served company men and completely failed to anticipate and cater for fundamental changes in their core business. 

Edited November 18, 2022 by andyman7

[adb968008]

3 minutes ago, andyman7 said:

It's worth remembering that (going back in time) both Meccano (Hornby Dublo) and Triang collapsed because their managements were old-school time served company men and completely failed to anticipate and cater for fundamental changes in their core business. 

Just want to highlight this line…. And sit here thinking about the “now”.

 

 

[BachelorBoy]

12 hours ago, adb968008 said:

However reading the new CEOs background, and more importantly calling out specifically from his CV, regarding bankruptcy recovery and sell off, to me is a bit worrisome. I am glad I am not a shareholder.

I would have thought shareholders would be happy with him and his CV. Hornby loses money, and at times doesn't seem to be very well run.

 

I think shareholders would like him to kick arse a bit (remember the shares have lost ninety per cent in value since 2007).

[BachelorBoy]

On 17/11/2022 at 09:37, G-BOAF said:

Presumably the current CEO has had a strong hand in choosing his successor

 

Why? Hornby has lost money under the current CEO. It's not run well. The board of directors may want a break with the past.

[BachelorBoy]

 

On 17/11/2022 at 12:21, OliverBytham said:

 

Given Paperchase's miraculous recovery was not the rosy story it seemed, I wouldn't count on it. Several reports out there about how the rescue deal saved jobs on the retail side of the business, but Paperchase wriggled out of paying creators and artists who'd provided work for its greetings cards before it went bust. 

 

The rescue of a failed company is messy. Creditors are rarely happy, as the taxman and the staff come first when paying off debts. But that's not the fault of Oliver Raeburn. That's the way the rules work. 

 

 

 

[ThaneofFife]

plenty of these directors and CEOs do seems to like job hopping.......in my younger days if you had a CV that suggested you were moving around a lot you wasnt a good fit for the firm...........or is it to jump from one big pay increase to the next and sod the actually management of the firm and leave most of it to those on lower pay that have been there fore years but at least know what theyre doing and are loyal?

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, BachelorBoy said:

I would have thought shareholders would be happy with him and his CV. Hornby loses money, and at times doesn't seem to be very well run.

 

I think shareholders would like him to kick arse a bit (remember the shares have lost ninety per cent in value since 2007).

However the share price certainly hasn't reflected - so far - any sudden burst of optimism following notice of his appointment.  Maybe the shareholders are in 'wait and see' mode?

[BachelorBoy]

10 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

However the share price certainly hasn't reflected - so far - any sudden burst of optimism following notice of his appointment.  Maybe the shareholders are in 'wait and see' mode?

 

At least it didn't fall :-)

 

Actually there does seem to have been a little bit of enthusiasm on Friday. 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by BachelorBoy
added graph

[Vistisen]

On 17/11/2022 at 12:07, Oldddudders said:

Where would we like the CEO to come from?

I think it would be best if he was better at running companies than running trains. 

[Vistisen]

On 17/11/2022 at 10:19, BachelorBoy said:

I wonder if his first decision will be to abandon TT120. 

 

We RMWebbers are fickle bunch!

When Peco announced their TT track it was hailed as the greatest no-brainer decision ever. A few hours later when some other companies announced plans to make some locomotives, the excitement reached fever pitch. When Hornby announced that not only were they also going to do TT, but that a lot if it was already in production and should be around in time for Christmas, they were straight away accused of ‘killing’ competitors with muttering of duplication.

Now as I understand ít, there are again production issues causing delays. And now the talk turns to they should never have spent money on this suddenly doubtful project.

[bmthtrains - David]

Crikey, poor man. I know Hornby is everyone’s favourite piñata at the moment but come on, this is the worst kind of trolling really - a man we know nothing about other than where he has worked has been instantly condemned. 
 

As a former ‘grocer’ myself I find this attitude immensely depressing and frankly insulting. 
 

Do better chaps. 
 

David 

[BachelorBoy]

1 hour ago, bmthtrains - David said:

Crikey, poor man. I know Hornby is everyone’s favourite piñata at the moment but come on, this is the worst kind of trolling really - a man we know nothing about other than where he has worked has been instantly condemned. 

I don't think he's been condemned. And why shouldn't people question whether he's right for the job. The discussion has been helpful in understanding what Hornby's problems are, and what direction it should or could go in.

[BachelorBoy]

1 hour ago, Vistisen said:

We RMWebbers are fickle bunch!

When Peco announced their TT track it was hailed as the greatest no-brainer decision ever. A few hours later when some other companies announced plans to make some locomotives, the excitement reached fever pitch. When Hornby announced that not only were they also going to do TT, but that a lot if it was already in production and should be around in time for Christmas, they were straight away accused of ‘killing’ competitors with muttering of duplication.

Now as I understand ít, there are again production issues causing delays. And now the talk turns to they should never have spent money on this suddenly doubtful project.

I wasn't saying TT120 should be abandoned.  I just speculated that it might.