Meet the Cast
Kirk Smallman – 58 Kirk Smallman is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kids Inc. He joined Kids Inc in 1955 at the age of 16. His father was a founder of the company, who retired in 1990 and died in 1992. Kirk has large number of shares in the company, which he inherited from his father. He married in 1969, divorced in 1971, remarried in 1972, divorced in 1973. He lives in Peoria, Illinois USA, which is where Kids Inc is based. Although he has visited UK on several occasions this will be only the second time he has met Rex, Jennifer and Vikki. The last time he met them was at the signing of the contract at the London Offices of Small World’s Solicitors, Beech, Rankle and Butter, in Chancery Lane. It will be the first time he has met Charles Xe Hong and Juliet Holmes. He was in charge of the negotiations for the take-over of Small World, although Gwen Ames undertook all the earlier investigation work.
Rex Cousins B.Eng – 48 Rex Cousins is the MD of Small World Ltd. He set up the company in 1982 with his wife Jennifer and Vikki Ryan. All three previously worked with Triang. Rex graduated with a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Manchester University in1971. That year he joined Triang as a graduate apprentice, working his way up to Production Manager. He and Jennifer met when she joined Triang in 1975. They married in 1977 and have no children.
Jennifer Cousins BA – 49 Jennifer Cousins is Company Secretary of Small World Ltd. She set up the company in 1982 with her husband Rex Cousins and Vikki Ryan. All three previously worked with Triang. She is a chartered accountant who graduated from the London School of Economics in 1970. She took her articles with a small London firm Ames and Barrett, then, in 1972, joined Arthur Andersen. She left Andersens and joined Triang, as a Financial Controller in 1975. There she met Rex. They married in 1977 and have no children.
Vikki Ryan B.Eng – 45 Vikki Ryan is Design Director of Small World Ltd. She set up the company in 1982 with Jennifer Cousins and her husband Rex. All three previously worked with Triang. She has designed many of Small World’s products including the latest model, the Minirider tricycle. She graduated in mechanical engineering from Wolverhampton Polytechnic in 1973 and worked there as a demonstrator for two years. She then joined Jaguar as a designer, before leaving to join Triang as a Senior Designer in 1978. She is single.
Juliet Holmes – 27 Secretary to Rex Cousins, she first came to Small World as a temp and joined the permanent staff five years ago. Prior to that she attended Esther Jones School of acting. She is a keen amateur actor, a member of the Company of Ten, based at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans. She has had several small professional parts. She regards work as something you have to do to live and enable you to act. A year ago Rex granted her 6 month’s unpaid leave so that she could take a West End part.
Gwen Ames BA – 32 Gwen Ames is the new Financial Director of Small World, placed there by Kids Inc (ie by Kirk Smallman). She undertook all the initial investigation work, including the Due Diligence, prior to Kids Inc buying Small World. She now lives in Birmingham, but previously lived in Peoria, Illinois USA, which is where Kids Inc is based. She graduated from Harvard with a BA in Law in 1989 and joined a Boston Law firm, Jarvis & Daniels. One of her clients was Kids Inc. whom she joined in 1993 as a legal advisor. She rose rapidly to Senior Legal Advisor and then Vice President, Acquisitions. She married in 1990 and divorced in 1993.
Charles Xe Hong OBE BSc – 42 Charles Xe Hong is Production Director of Small World in Malaysia. He joined the company in 1989, and helped set up the Malaysian Factory. Charles was born in Malaysia, the son of a Malay Prince and British Mother. His mother was the daughter of British settlers who were killed by the Japanese in the Second World War. He was bought up in Malaysia, but sent to England to study. He went to Winchester School and Kings College Cambridge. He graduated in 1977 in Physics. He returned to Malaysia where he joined GEC as a designer of radios. He switched to Production, at which he excelled. He rose to factory manager before leaving to join Small World. He has long been an activist for proper safety standards for Malay workers. The agreement between Small World and the Malaysian Government, guaranteeing safety standards in exchange for tax concessions, was largely thanks to his efforts. It was his primary reason for joining Small World. The Queen awarded him an OBE for his work. He and Rex have been friends since 1972, when they met through a mutual friend. They kept in touch even when separated by half the world, taking the opportunities to visit each other and meet up whenever they could. Since joining Small World he has made regular trips to UK on business, but usually find some extra time to visit Rex. Those he meets generally regard Charles as the best mixture of Eastern and Western Culture. He has a passionate desire to improve the working conditions of his fellow Malay people, but at all times showing impeccable manners and acting with a British reserve. Had he not taken the job with Small World, he may well have entered, and been successful in, Malaysian political life. He flew in two days ago and is staying at the Allenbury Manor hotel.