Mattel plays with idea of new COO position

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Mattel announced that it has appointed Bryan Stockton, Mattel’s president of international, to the new position of chief operating officer, effective immediately. Stockton will report to Robert Eckert, chairman and chief executive officer of Mattel, as will Mattel’s finance, legal and human resources functions.

The company also announced that Neil Friedman, president of Mattel brands, will be leaving the company in March 2011.

“In the last 10 years, Mattel has built the largest and strongest brand portfolio in the industry, commanding industry-leading gross margins and an unparalleled global footprint,” said Eckert. “I am confident that the appointment of Bryan as COO will help drive innovation, sustainable growth across brands and countries, and further leverage our scale and global structure as the world’s largest toy company.”

As COO, Stockton will have responsibility for day-to-day operations of the company, which include overseeing the design, development, marketing and sale of all Mattel toy brands globally, as well as licensed entertainment properties; the Mattel digital network; and other operating functions including operations and corporate responsibility.

Since 2003, Stockton has led Mattel’s international division. Under his management, the international teams marked record-breaking growth, as well as increased International’s total contribution to Mattel’s annual sales from 36% to almost 50% of total sales. Stockton joined Mattel in November 2000 as EVP business planning and development, responsible for identifying and developing strategic opportunities.