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Like a lot of parents, Shannon (Coleman) Sasaluxanon ’07 loves to get on the floor and play with her children; unlike most, she’s sometimes running “the kitchen test” — a time for the mom of two and brand lead for the Disney Preschool portfolio to test toys from work on her kids at home.

For the past decade, Sasaluxanon has deftly launched products across the Hasbro catalogue, from Playskool to Star Wars to Marvel, from play sets to action figures to vehicles. She says each brand is like its own mini company, giving her new experiences in brand building and product development as she moves from line to line, and the chance to manage growing cross-functional teams of diverse talents.

She credits her business background at Bentley and IE Business School in Madrid with helping her to not only become a management leader, but also a people leader: “I have particularly felt, in the last several years, the foundations I got in business school really set me up to set myself apart as a leader and think more holistically about the brands I am building.”

So, what are the building blocks of a great toy? It’s about understanding consumer needs and bringing them to life in new ways with kids’ favorite characters, she explains; a balance of smartly using an industry mold that’s tried and true (think trucks and dolls), while elevating the field with innovation and modern trends (think sustainability and education). Once a product has been designed, engineered and tested, her team gets creative with TV and social media marketing strategies. Fun fact: In 1952, Hasbro was the first brand to advertise a toy on television. His name: Mr. Potato Head.

While her favorite childhood toy and bucket list brand to work on is My Little Pony, Sasaluxanon loves knowing that, no matter the product, she’s bringing joy to children. “I played with these toys as a kid and now I’m the one designing them,” she says. “That’s the magic … getting to come full circle.”