Don Sutherland, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, joins Playmates from Wesley Allen Inc., where he served as General Manager and Chief Financial Officer.

Prior to Wesley Allen, he spent 12 years with Chartered Management Inc., a well-respected management-consulting firm. Don brings a broad array of operations, financial planning and information systems expertise to Playmates as well as a through understanding of the toy industry gained during his tenure with Mattel.

A CPA, Sutherland also holds a B.S. in Business Administration, an MBA, and a law degree (tax specialty). "Don's varied experience, strong general management, IT and financial planning and management skills makes him an extremely valuable addition to the Playmates executive team," said Novak.

Phil Jacobs, Senior Vice President, Sales, joins Playmates with over 25 years experience in a variety of senior level sales management and business planning positions, with many of the toy industry's largest companies. Phil served as Senior Vice President of Sales for Tiger Electronics and also gained valuable experience from previous executive positions at Hasbro, Galoob and Mattel.

"Phil is respected in our industry as a skilled business manager and strong communicator. His strategic planning experience and product knowledge will enable him to maximize the sales potential of the company's brands in all major categories," Novak said.

Jill Will, Vice President of Marketing - Boys Toys, brings a wealth of brand management, marketing and promotional experience to the company. Jill has over 25 years of hands on involvement in all facets of the toy business. She has worked in senior marketing and management positions with Mattel and Kenner and has played a key role in the definition and execution of some of the industry's most successful and longest running marketing campaigns for brands such as Star Wars and Barbie.

"Jill's marketing, product development and exceptionally broad toy industry experience will enable us to significantly expand our boys business in new and profitable directions," said Novak.

Jill Will joins Lori Farbanish, Vice President of Marketing - Girls Toys, to complete Playmates senior marketing management roster. Farbanish joined Playmates in January 2000, from Arco Toys where she was Director of Product Design responsible for Mattel's Character Brands.

The company has also taken steps to expand the in-house sales function with the dedication of senior sales executives to the direct management of all account activity for several of its largest customers.

These executive appointments and the realignment of sales responsibilities positions Playmates Toys to maximize new licensed and proprietary product opportunities in key categories, while fully exploiting the significant equity in the company's established brands such as -- the Amazing doll line, Waterbabies, Disney dolls, Simpsons collectibles, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Playmates Toys

Playmates Toys Inc. manufactures, markets and distributes a wide range of girls' and boys' toys, activity and novelty electronics, and products based upon character-rich licensed entertainment properties. Among the company's best-known brands are the "Amazing" family of interactive dolls and the unique water-filled "Waterbabies" dolls.

Key licensed properties include Disney's Princesses and other classic characters from The Walt Disney Company, Twentieth Century Fox's "The Simpsons," and Mirage Studios' "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." Playmates Toys is a division of Playmates Interactive Entertainment Limited, a Hong Kong-based company whose stock is traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.