Mattel Builds New Exec Roster

Mattel has appointed four executives to key senior roles as it implements its plan to deliver improved performance.

April 6, 2018

New appointments are part of toy company's renewal strategy.

The new additions to the toy company's executive roster include Richard Gros, chief human resources officer; Juliana Chugg, global core brands officer; Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, chief content officer; and John Vandemore, chief financial officer, global brands and commercial.

The news follows several months of executive shifts at the toy company including the departure of chief executive officer Bryan Stockton, senior vice president of licensing Jessie Dunne and most recently, executive vice president Tim Kilpin. New CEO Christopher Sinclair and new president and COO Richard Dickson are now leading the charge for renewal.

"Today's announcement is an important step towards re-invigorating our culture and increasing accountability, as we accelerate our efforts to deliver enhanced creativity, innovation and financial performance," says Sinclair.

As global core brands officer, Chugg,

will oversee all aspects of marketing strategy, creative execution and product development across Mattel's brands and will be responsible for driving continued innovation throughout the portfolio. She joins Mattel from General Mills, where she most recently she served as president of the company's Meals division, which includes brands such as Progresso, Old El Paso and Betty Crocker. Chugg also serves on the board of directors of VF Corporation, one of the world's largest fashion companies.

Balsam-Schwaber will join Mattel in the new role of chief content officer, where she will lead Mattel's efforts to implement an integrated strategy for content creation and distribution, digital and media that connects consumers with the company's brands in meaningful and innovative ways. She joins Mattel from NBCUniversal, where she led the corporate content and innovation agency. Balsam-Schwaber also directed transformative content strategies at AOL, Time Warner, MTV and iVillage. She began her career in the White House Communications Office and later joined NBC News as a producer for the flagship NBC Nightly News program.