EL SEGUNDO, Calif., March 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today that the Company’s Board of Directors has selected R. Todd Bradley, Soren T. Laursen and Rosa (“Rosie”) G. Rios to be director nominees to stand for election to Mattel’s board at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
“Todd, Soren and Rosie bring extremely valuable expertise to the board in a variety of key areas, and they each have experience successfully guiding large enterprises through turnaround periods,” said Margo Georgiadis, CEO of Mattel. “Along with Ynon Kreiz who joined the board last year and was appointed chairman effective later this year, Mattel’s board is optimally positioned to provide insightful, actionable leadership as we continue to take steps to reposition our business and set a foundation for accelerated growth.”
Todd Bradley brings expansive global supply chain management and operating experience to Mattel’s board. Mr. Bradley has deep expertise in optimizing manufacturing and logistics networks to maximize agility, meeting the needs of today’s demand-led marketplace. He also has extensive experience in China – a key growth market for Mattel – where he has built and managed highly successful partnerships to help establish and grow brand engagement and awareness. Most recently, Mr. Bradley served as CEO of Mozido, Inc., a leading digital payment and mobile commerce provider. Prior to that, Mr. Bradley served as president of TIBO Software, Inc., an integration, analytics and event-processing software company. Previously, Mr. Bradley held senior leadership positions with the Hewlett-Packard Company, including Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth Initiatives, Executive Vice President of Printing and Personal Systems Group, and Executive Vice President of the Personal Systems Group. Mr. Bradley also served as CEO of PalmOne, Inc., the pioneering personal digital assistant (PDA) maker that helped pave the way for smartphones and other connected mobile devices.
A veteran global toy industry executive, Soren Laursen brings global commercial experience to Mattel, with deep expertise in developing strong brand franchises supported by breakthrough media, digital and technology activations. He most recently served as CEO of TOP-TOY, the largest retailer of toys and children’s products in the Nordic region, operating approximately 300 retail locations in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with multiple stores in Germany. Prior to that, Mr. Laursen held a variety of senior leadership roles with The LEGO Group. Mr. Laursen served as President of LEGO Systems, Inc., from 2004 to 2016. Before that, he oversaw the LEGO Company’s operations in various international markets, including Europe and Asia/Pacific. Mr. Laursen serves as an advisor to The Toy Association – the leading toy industry trade group – where he also served as a member of the association’s Board of Directors from 2004 to 2014, and as Chairman from 2012 to 2014.
Rosie Rios brings to Mattel’s board vast experience in finance and business leadership, along with a record of successfully transforming complex organizations to be more nimble and agile. She currently serves as CEO of Red River Associates, a real estate and economic development consulting firm, and as founder and CEO of EMPOWERMENT 2020, an action-based movement for the advancement of women and girls in underrepresented areas of influence. She also serves as a visiting scholar at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. Prior to that, Ms. Rios served as the 43rd Treasurer of the United States. During her tenure with the Department of the Treasury, Ms. Rios effected over $1 billion in savings, while increasing employee morale at record levels. In addition, she led the effort to place the portrait of a woman on U.S. currency for the first time in more than a century. Previously, she served as Managing Director with MacFarlane Partners, and as an economic development and urban revitalization advisor to mayors and other government officials in major cities including Oakland, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., and Washington, D.C.
Ms. Georgiadis added: “Over the past several months, we have gathered feedback from our shareholders to understand the qualities they would like to see in board nominees, and we believe Todd, Soren and Rosie embody the characteristics we identified through that process. We thank our investors, including Legion Partners and Southeastern Asset Management, for their partnership in identifying outstanding board prospects.”
About Mattel
Mattel is a global learning, development and play company that inspires the next generation of kids to shape a brighter tomorrow. Through our portfolio of iconic consumer brands, including American Girl®, Barbie®, Fisher-Price®, Hot Wheels® and Thomas & Friends®, we create systems of play, content and experiences that help kids unlock their full potential. Mattel also creates inspiring and innovative products in collaboration with leading entertainment and technology companies as well as other partners. With a global workforce of approximately 28,000 people, Mattel operates in 50 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.
