Christmas CEO 2021

Chris Winnacker, the CEO and co-founder of CJ Toys, has wanted to be a toy-maker since she was ten. Her focus the last several years has been to expand the business, in the process she having lost the spirit of toys and Christmas, despite Christmas being her complete given name. She believes she's gotten what she wished for when, a few weeks before Christmas, she is approached by Kathleen Keller, CEO of the much larger Arlo Toys, who, upon Kathleen's imminent retirement, proposes a merger between the two companies with Chris as the CEO of the new company all pending approval by the Arlo board. The one technicality is that Kathleen requires the contract to be signed by CJ's other co-founder and CEO, Joe Sullivan, the "J" in CJ. The problem for Chris is that Joe walked out on her and the business seven years ago, the two who have not spoken since and his whereabouts unknown. She is also unaware the reason he left was that he believed she had lost the spirit of what made them start the business together, that spirit which was present when they made and sold their first toys together as children. She is able to track him down, he working at his father Tucker Sullivan's antiques and collectibles store focusing on the musical and toy collectibles in their sale and repair, this job until he figures out his next move whenever his father sells the business. Initially refusing to provide his consent for the merger in it not being his vision for CJ, Joe does eventually provide at least a verbal consent in return for Chris volunteering her time to help in a Christmas fundraiser he organizes, the Christmas Toy Drive Jamboree, culminating with the jamboree on December 23rd. Without telling her, Joe is hoping that Chris, in volunteering her time, regains the spirit that made them start CJ Toys together in the first place. He is also doing it in that he has secretly been in love with her since they were ten. While there has been that unspoken feeling on Chris' side all these years as well, the question then becomes whether they can bridge the gap on the professional and emotional side of the equation for that romantic side to take root, not being able to achieve the former which will probably lead to them once again going their separate ways despite neither truly wanting that to happen.—Huggo

Marisol Nichols

Christmas Winnacker

James M Jenkinson

Tucker Sullivan

Paul Greene

Joe Sullivan

Veronica Marin-Estrada

Emma Stewart