Mattel has chosen media and technology veteran Roger Lynch to lead its next chapter, succeeding Ynon Kreiz after eight years. The longtime Mattel board member becomes Chairman on October 2 and will assume the CEO role no later than November 2.
Mattel is turning to a leader from the worlds of media, technology and global consumer brands as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has appointed Roger Lynch as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Ynon Kreiz, who is stepping down after eight years at the helm.
The transition will take place in stages. Lynch becomes Chairman on October 2, 2026, while his appointment as CEO will take effect on or before November 2. Kreiz will step down as Chairman and CEO on October 2 to take a senior leadership position at another public company.
For Lynch, however, Mattel is not unfamiliar territory.
An Insider With an Outside Perspective
Lynch has served on Mattel’s Board since 2018 and was most recently its Independent Lead Director. That gives him years of direct exposure to the company’s strategy and transformation while bringing leadership experience from industries outside traditional toy manufacturing.
Since 2019, he has served as CEO of Condé Nast, overseeing the global media company and brands including Vogue, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and GQ through significant disruption across publishing and digital media.
His tenure included bringing Condé Nast’s international operations together, expanding the ways its intellectual property could generate revenue and delivering consistent profit growth since 2020.
Before Condé Nast, Lynch held CEO roles at Pandora, Sling TV, Video Networks International and Chello Broadband, giving him experience spanning content, technology, distribution and changing consumer behaviour.
Those credentials are particularly relevant to the Mattel he now inherits.
Building on Mattel’s Transformation
Under Kreiz, Mattel sought to evolve beyond its traditional identity as a toy manufacturer into a broader IP-driven play and family entertainment company.
The company strengthened major franchises including Barbie and Hot Wheels while expanding its entertainment partnerships and licensing portfolio. Hot Wheels is on track for its ninth consecutive year of growth, while Mattel has added or renewed licences involving Disney Princess and Frozen, Toy Story, DC and other entertainment properties.
The success of the Barbie movie provided perhaps the most visible example of the potential of that strategy.
Lynch will now be responsible for taking the model forward.
Mattel board member Judy Olian, who led the succession process, described Lynch as a leader experienced in growing companies while industries and consumer trends are changing. His years on Mattel’s board also mean he has participated in shaping the company’s direction as it expanded into entertainment and digital products.
A New Chapter, Not a New Starting Point
Lynch has indicated that his approach will build on the foundation established under Kreiz rather than reset it.
He said Mattel is well positioned for its next phase of profitable growth, pointing to its brands, people and entertainment partnerships as strengths he has observed during his years on the board.
That makes the appointment an interesting leadership combination: an internal successor in terms of governance, but an external one in terms of operating experience.
Lynch already understands Mattel from the boardroom. His next challenge is translating a career spent navigating disruption in media and technology into operational leadership of one of the world’s best-known consumer brand portfolios.
Sources: Mattel; Mattel Investor Relations; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Condé Nast
