Mattel Says President And COO Richard Dickson To Step Down

(RTTNews) - Toy maker Mattel, Inc. (MAT) announced Wednesday that Richard Dickson, President and Chief Operating Officer, will step down from his position with the Company effective August 3, 2023 to take the role of president and chief executive officer at another public company.

The company has promoted Lisa McKnight to Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, overseeing all of Mattel's toy categories and global brands, as well as design and development.

Josh Silverman has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Franchise Officer. His role has expanded to include leadership of digital gaming and licensed entertainment, in addition to global consumer products, publishing, promotions, and location-based entertainment, as well as franchise management.

Both executives will assume Dickson's responsibilities and report to Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mattel. The company has also promoted Chris Down to Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer, reporting to McKnight.

McKnight has held senior leadership positions at Mattel for nearly 25 years and has been the global head of Barbie since 2016 and Dolls since 2019. Down has been a key leader in his 18 years with the company, and 30 years in the toy industry overall. He was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Design Officer in 2019. He previously held senior creative and leadership roles including General Manager of Vehicles and Hot Wheels.

Down's experience spans a range of functions, brands, and categories at Mattel, as well as prior leadership positions at Hasbro and Atari Interactive.