Margo Georgiadis has been tapped as the next CEO of US-based toy giant Mattel, effective February 8. She will also join the company’s board of directors. Georgiadis will step in for Christopher Sinclair, who has served as interim CEO and chairman since January 2015 and will remain as executive chairman of the board.
Sinclair, in turn, had taken on the role after the sudden departure of Bryan Stockton after many years. Mattel has not had a woman at the helm since the ’90s, when Jill Barad served as CEO for three years. Georgiadis will work closely with both Sinclair and President & COO Richard Dickson in the weeks ahead to ensure a smooth transition.
Margo Georgiadis joins Mattel from Google, where for the last six years she has been President of the Americas, establishing a proven track record of building global partnerships and fostering innovation. Prior to Google, Georgiadis was COO of Groupon, EVP of Card Products and CMO of Discover Financial Services. She was also a partner at McKinsey & Company for 15 years, working in London and Chicago. She currently serves on the boards of McDonald’s Corp. and Amyris.
Christopher Sinclair oversaw a dramatic sales rebound for Mattel during his time as CEO. The company recently posted better than expected revenues for Q3 of 2016, thanks in large part to its Entertainment department and Barbie brand.
Jill Barad was an executive with Mattel for two decades, serving as CEO for three years in the late 1990s. Barad is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Women in Toys Licensing and Entertainment at next month’s Wonder Women Awards.
