Mattel has promoted Lisa McKnight to executive vice president and global head, Barbie and dolls. It was announced by Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer, Mattel, to whom McKnight reports.  

"Guided by the Mattel Playbook brand-building approach, Lisa and her team have shaped the Dolls category in game-changing ways, with a powerful portfolio of brands that inspire consumers, the industry and have created broad-based success," says Dickson. "A driving force in evolving the Barbie brand into the most diverse and inclusive doll line on the market, Lisa has simultaneously grown a portfolio of complementary brands like Polly Pocket and Monster High, as well as coveted licensed brands. I look forward to her continued success in leading the top portfolio in the category and delighting fans for years to come."   

During McKnight's time at the helm of Barbie and Dolls, she has led the charge in scaling the Barbie brand by nearly two times over the past six years with a more than $750 million increase in gross billings and driven portfolio expansion with complementary brands.  

In addition to overseeing owned intellectual property, McKnight leads premier partner brands for the dolls portfolio and played a crucial role in winning back the licensing rights to Disney Princess and "Frozen" franchises and winning Universal's "Spirit" and "Trolls" licenses.   

McKnight's contributions to Mattel span nearly 24 years, during which she has served in various senior management positions, executing successful marketing, advertising and brand strategies. Before her most recent role as senior vice president and global head, Barbie and dolls in 2019, McKnight served as senior vice president and general manager, Barbie, leading global business strategy for the brand.  

In addition, McKnight just concluded two terms as a board member of the Toy Industry Association Foundation and currently serves on the board of MAKERS Women. 

McKnight was recognized by Business Insider as a top innovative CMO in 2021 and was honored in 2016 with Adweek's Brand Genius Award. She is a frequent guest speaker at conferences such as the Cannes International Advertising Festival, Fast Company Innovation Festival, WFA Global Marketer Conference, Most Contagious Summit, Brand Innovator, Bentonville Film Festival and The Gathering. McKnight received her Bachelor of Arts from Denison University. 

"It is a privilege to create products that help children see themselves reflected in the world," says McKnight. "In partnership with my best-in-class team, cross-functional leadership across Mattel and collaborative external partners, I am excited to continue to innovate and grow these iconic brands and empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential."