Founder/Director

Simon founded Oskar's Wooden Ark in 2018 after moving to Australia from Germany with Thuy and their young family, inspired by his parents' deep love for handcrafted wooden toys. Today he sources new brands, manages manufacturer relationships, oversees logistics and numbers, and leads our online marketing. Simon is the captain of our ship, who with a brilliant team behind him has built a community that shares a common love for handmade wooden toys.

Fun fact: Simon used to be an ambulance driver for some time.

Favourite OWA toy: Bikeho Wooden Toys

Co-Founder

Thuy is the secret mastermind behind Oskar's Wooden Ark. She gives sound advice when needed and often comes up with creative ideas to take the business to the next level. She was the first person to support Simon with the idea of moving to Australia to open up a toy store back in 2017 and currently helps behind the scenes with all the tasks that Simon is unable to do during his waking hours.

Fun fact: Thuy met Simon in Germany after quitting her corporate job and flying to Europe on a whim.

Favourite OWA toy: Regenbogenland Stairway to Heaven

Operations Manager

Annette joined Oskar's Wooden Ark in 2022, managing operations across Oskar's Wooden Ark, Wooden Playroom, and Mercurius, including customer service delivery, IT, and client relationships. She's deeply knowledgeable about our products and loves sharing that insight with customers and clients. In her downtime, Annette enjoys living on the sunny coast, connecting with nature, good coffee, and lots of sunshine.

Fun fact: Annette was once a deep tissue massage therapist and specialist in body realignment.

Favourite OWA toy: Gluckskafer Garden Tools

Warehouse Overseer

Tony joined Oskar's Wooden Ark in 2021 and now oversees our entire warehouse operation, from incoming shipments through to order fulfilment. His comprehensive approach has significantly improved our workflow and customer service times. Tony is easy-going, hardworking, and brings tremendous value to the team. In his free time, he enjoys fish-keeping and aquascaping, along with various sporting activities.

Fun fact: Tony used to play competitive badminton during his younger years.

Favourite OWA toy: Billes & Co Marbles

Warehouse Operations

David was our very first employee, joining in time for our first Christmas season back in 2018. Today he's part of our warehouse team and our walking product encyclopedia, impressing us daily with his knowledge of our brands. His work ethic, loyalty, and friendly smile make him a valued member of the team.

Fun fact: David has been known to host the biggest and best house parties back in the day.

Favourite OWA toy: Treasures from Jennifer Hundred Frame

Warehouse Operations

Marc is one of the backbones of our operations, picking, packing, and shipping orders with precision and care. He takes pride in fast, accurate work, bringing enthusiasm and attention to detail to every task. When he's not fulfilling orders, Marc helps organise inventory and keep things running smoothly.

Fun fact: Originally from the UK, Marc made the move to Australia in search of sun, sand, and sea – and we’re so glad he did!

Favourite OWA toy: Predan Toys

Warehouse Operations

Aaron brings the fun to our warehouse floor, always ready with a joke to lighten the mood - especially when things get busy. His good humour keeps the team energised and makes even the most hectic days a little easier.

Favourite OWA toy: Still deciding!

Warehouse Operations

Our newest team member, Marc has settled into warehouse operations alongside David, Marc and Aaron, helping keep orders picked, packed, and moving smoothly. (Not a typo - we really do have two Marcs in the warehouse, and both are from the UK.) Before joining the team, Marc spent 18 years working as a mechanic, which he puts to use as a volunteer mechanic for a competing team in the SA Rally Championship.

Fun fact: Marc races classic Mini’s and attends The Australian Hay Mini Nationals each year in Hay, NSW - Australia’s largest and most competitive Mini motorkhana.

Favourite OWA toy: Kids at Work

Videographer and Product Photographer

John, originally from France, moved to Australia in 2017 and joined our team in 2020 to focus on video content across our online platforms. He's since created and edited more than 500 videos for our website and social media, alongside product photography. John is hard-working, reliable, and always willing to go the extra mile.

Fun fact: John used to be a Techno DJ for warehouse raves in France.

Favourite OWA toy: KAPLA

Brand, Website & Communication Design

Ruth is our Brand Champion, designing our websites, digital content, email assets, and print media. She's passionate about creating a positive online experience for our customers, from engaging imagery to new landing pages and packaging design. With a background in Education and Psychology, Ruth cares deeply about the role of play and creativity in childhood.

Fun fact: Ruth spent her childhood in South Africa and now lives in the UK with her husband and three young children. She loves travelling and exploring new places.

Favourite OWA toy: Mader Spinning Tops

Accounts

Gabey manages the financial side of our Wooden Playroom wholesale and Mercurius school accounts. When she isn't crunching numbers, Gabey is a professional singer, percussionist, and composer who tours and records. She also enjoys skiing, being in the mountains, and gardening.

Fun fact: Gabey has a passion for hip hop and street dance and dances multiple times a week for a happy life.

Favourite OWA toy: Gluckskafer Home Range

Customer Service - Schools and Wholesale

Ngoc is one of the most efficient yet cheerful people you'll meet at our warehouse, specialising in support for schools and wholesale partners. She manages school orders and accounts, wholesale enquiries, local pickups, and returns. Ngoc loves spending time with her niece and nephew, tackling jigsaw puzzles, and touring wineries.

Fun fact: In primary school, Ngoc was the school champion in 'Tetrics' and earned the nickname “Turbo Fingers."

Favourite OWA toy: SENGER Naturwelt Goose

Customer Service

Naomi is often the first person you'll encounter at Oskar's Wooden Ark, on the other end of our phones, emails, and chats. A mum of two who attended a Steiner school herself, she brings genuine insight into what suits each age and stage, and what might be a great next addition to your collection. Naomi's product knowledge and warmth make her a wonderful person to reach out to with any questions.

Fun fact: Naomi has loved baking since she was a teen, making wedding and birthday cakes over the years - recent favourites include a Lego head cake and a Pokémon Squirtle cake for her kids' birthdays.

Favourite OWA toy: Stapelstein

Purchasing and Product Administrative Assistant

Andrea makes sure our website is ready for incoming stock — organising purchase orders, listing new products, and keeping every detail accurate, even on our biggest orders of thousands of units. She also supports our purchasing, product, and warehouse teams behind the scenes. Andrea spends her free time cooking delicious meals or reading novels with her fur babies close by.

Fun fact: Andrea co-owns a small, local cake shop with her sister-in-law and eldest nephew, where taste testing is an important responsibility!

Customer Service and Product Administrative Assistant

Kristelle is one of our resident product listers - sourcing details, editing photos, and adding beautiful content to keep our website fresh. She also supports our customer service team as our administrative assistant. Kristelle thinks the Gluckskafer Wooden All-In-One Doll House is Super Cool, and loves the beach with her dogs and friends!

Fun fact: Much of Kristelle’s spare time is taken up with the 8 fur-babies she lives with!

Newsletters & Administrative Assistance

Hyacinth is our newsletter creator, and also supports the team with admin and behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything running smoothly. Away from the desk, Hyacinth loves travelling and exploring new places with her little girl.

Fun fact: Hyacinth used to join plenty of singing and dancing contests back in the day, and now loves teaching her little girl the same.

Favourite OWA toy: The Dinkum Dolls Mermaid range. Living in a coastal area, the beach is a big part of her life and the mermaids feels quite at home.