Forget the bored room: This exec is here to play
MONTREAL— Émile Burbidge has a pogo stick, a Star Wars robot, a toy gun and a trampoline.
But it is the 12-year-old’s job title that is bound to make him the envy of his friends and other kids across the country. The precocious lad from St-Bruno, Que., was unveiled this week as the newest “chief play officer” for Toys “R” Us.
As the retailer’s cool-hunting toy tester for the next year, Émile is now responsible for passing judgment on gadgets, games and various other playthings on behalf of legions of Canadian kids.
As one can imagine, he is awfully excited to dive into a job he variously describes as “really cool,” “really fun,” and “really awesome.” No big surprise there. While Émile is already thinking about how he’ll be able to justify additional playtime as a work responsibility, his mother, Paloma Izquierdo, says she is not too worried about the youngest of her four children turning toy crazy.
Competitive sports have been Émile’s thing up to now. But his three older sisters have trained him well for his current role, roping him in to be the announcer at impromptu shows and recitals around the house, Izquierdo said.
“He’s always had that role somewhere and so when this came out and I read him the description of what they were looking for, he said, ‘We have to do this,’ ” she said.
“This is the new activity we’re embracing. For us, it’s either competitive crosscountry skiing, or Toys “R” Us chief play officer.”