Anti Copying in Design (ACID) has appointed Laura Newbold Breen as COO, effective from 4th December.
Having previously been head of legal for Magmatic, which owned the Trunki brand prior to its successful transition to new ownership earlier this year, Laura brings a wealth of relevant experience through her journey on the inside track of a company which, despite its success, had to battle many copycat storms along the way.
Laura says: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining ACID, especially during their 25th year. Having been a proud member of the ACID Sector Council, I know all too well the constant IP difficulties faced by UK designers.
"At Magmatic Ltd, I was deeply involved in the seemingly relentless IP challenges, which gave me the opportunity to learn about IP at grassroots level and develop a multi-faceted, resourceful approach to brand protection. Having also been heavily involved in product compliance and quality, I am extremely passionate about UK manufacturing and supporting our precious UK designers and SMEs."
Dids Macdonald OBE, CEO of ACID, adds: “The team and I can’t wait for Laura to bring her incredible IP knowledge, experience and insight to the team at a pivotal time in our history, 25 years from its inception. We are at a defining moment in our future where the beat has got to get louder to ensure UK designers, who bring so much to the UK growth table, are supported with design laws that work and a system in which copyists are challenged in a cost- and time-effective framework. For too long, copyists have strangled innovators, and Laura is just the person to ignite a new fire in our ongoing campaigning.”
