Mattel has created a new, combined marketing and creative division that will span the toy company's portfolio of consumer brands and be led by new hire Richard Dickson.

In the newly created role of chief brands officer, Dickson will oversee worldwide brand strategy across the company's portfolio of iconic brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends. He will be responsible for all aspects of marketing strategy, creative execution, product development and content creation, as well as driving continued innovation.

"Given the growth and diversity of our world-class portfolio of best-selling, iconic brands, it's more critical than ever to ensure that we tightly align our marketing and creative strategies across the company and around the world," says Bryan G. Stockton, chairman and chief executive officer, Mattel, to whom Dickson will report. "With his unique blend of management and strategic marketing experience, his deep passion for Mattel and its brands and his distinct creative point-of-view, Richard is ideally suited to lead the effort."

Dickson brings to Mattel more than two decades of experience leading major consumer brands, most recently as president and chief executive officer of branded businesses at The Jones Group.

Prior to that, Dickson served as general manager and senior vice president for Barbie at Mattel, overseeing the brand's revitalization and successful expansion into a variety of new categories including entertainment, digital and retail. He has also held senior executive positions with a number of major consumer brands including Bloomingdales, Estée Lauder and e-commerce beauty website Gloss.com.

"Mattel's timeless and legendary brands are woven into the fabric of countless lives, and I look forward to finding new ways to ensure our incredible range of engaging products continue to be a memorable element in the lives of children around the world," says Dickson.