Mattel reshuffles leadership team as McKnight departs after 26 years

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT), the $5.8 billion toy manufacturer currently trading below its InvestingPro Fair Value, announced Tuesday a reorganization of its brand leadership structure, promoting Roberto Stanichi to the newly created position of Executive Vice President and Chief Global Brand Officer.

The toy company also elevated Jamie Cygielman to Global Head of Dolls and Ted Wu to Global Head of Vehicles and Building Sets. Both will report to Stanichi in the new structure.

Lisa McKnight, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, will leave the company after a transition period, ending a 26-year tenure with Mattel.

Stanichi, who has 20 years of experience at Mattel, previously led the Vehicles and Building Sets division. The company credited him with driving Hot Wheels to become "the #1 selling toy in the world" and overseeing the launch of Mattel Brick Shop.

Cygielman, currently General Manager and President of American Girl, will now oversee all doll brands including Barbie. Krista Berger will continue as Senior Vice President of Barbie, reporting to Cygielman.

Wu, who has been with Mattel for 22 years, most recently served as Senior Vice President of Design for Vehicles and Building Sets.

"Roberto has driven the Vehicles category to new heights, embodying the Hot Wheels ’challenger spirit’ and consistently leading with an enterprise mindset," said Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel, in the press release.

The reorganization aims to integrate marketing across Mattel’s Global Brands and Franchise teams to align brand management across all consumer touchpoints, according to the company.

McKnight, who has been with Mattel since 1999, was instrumental in transforming Barbie into "the #1 Global Doll Property" and developing the brand strategy for the Barbie movie, the company stated. According to InvestingPro analysis, Mattel maintains strong financial health with multiple positive indicators. Subscribers can access 6 additional ProTips and a comprehensive Pro Research Report, offering deeper insights into Mattel’s market position and growth potential.

In other recent news, Mattel Inc. reported its second-quarter 2025 earnings, revealing an adjusted earnings per share of $0.19, surpassing analyst forecasts of $0.16. Despite this earnings beat, the company fell short on revenue, posting $1.02 billion compared to the expected $1.06 billion. Analysts have provided their insights following these results. DA Davidson reiterated a Buy rating for Mattel with a maintained price target of $30, acknowledging the company’s better-than-expected profits despite missing revenue expectations. BofA Securities, however, lowered its price target from $28 to $27 while maintaining a Buy rating, citing concerns over margins despite the earnings per share exceeding their estimates. UBS also maintained a Buy rating with a price target of $29, noting the company’s fiscal year guidance issuance as a positive sign for the second half of 2025. Mattel projects $100 million in tariff costs for the second half of 2025, a significant reduction from earlier estimates of $270 million. These developments highlight the mixed reactions from analysts regarding Mattel’s financial health and future prospects.

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