Mattel’s Transformation to an IP-Powerhouse: A Conversation with Chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz

Ynon Kreiz is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mattel, a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. He joined the company as CEO in April 2018 and was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors in May 2018.

Mr. Kreiz led a multi-year transformation strategy that established Mattel as an IP-driven, high-performing toy company. Under his leadership, Mattel has achieved significant improvements across multiple key financial metrics. The company ended 2023 with an investment grade rating and its strongest balance sheet in years. Per Circana, in 2023 Mattel was the #1 toy company in the U.S. for the 30th consecutive year, achieving its largest annual share gain in the U.S. on record.

During Mr. Kreiz’s tenure, Mattel has established its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy and goals as published in its Citizenship Report. Mattel has also been recognized for its achievements in workplace culture and employee wellbeing by Forbes, Time, Fast Company, the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America, the Great Place to Work Institute, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index.

Under Mr. Kreiz’s leadership, Mattel Films has announced 15 motion pictures in active development with major studio partners. The company’s first movie, “Barbie,” became a cultural phenomenon, achieving the largest global box-office in 2023 and the industry’s 14th-highest grossing movie of all time. The Barbie movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, and received the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Mattel has a growing entertainment offering in television, consumer products, digital games, live events and experiences, publishing, and music.

Mr. Kreiz has had extensive experience as a corporate leader in the media and entertainment industry. Prior to joining Mattel, he was Chairman and CEO of Maker Studios, a global leader in short-form video content and one of YouTube’s largest multichannel networks. Maker Studios was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2014.

Prior to Maker Studios, Mr. Kreiz was Chairman and CEO of the Endemol Group, the world's largest independent television production company and owner of major programming franchises including Big Brother and Deal or No Deal. Under Mr. Kreiz’s management, Endemol produced more than 10,000 hours of programming a year. He also strengthened the company’s creative output, expanded into scripted content, and built its distribution business.

Before Endemol, Mr. Kreiz was a General Partner at Balderton Capital (formerly Benchmark Capital Europe), one of the leading early-stage startup investors in Europe.

Prior to Balderton, Mr. Kreiz co-founded Fox Kids Europe NV where he served as Chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, Fox Kids became one of the fastest growing pay TV channels in Europe and the Middle East and operated pay TV channels across 54 countries, broadcasting in 17 languages. The majority ownership of Fox Kids Europe NV was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2002.

Mr. Kreiz received a BA degree in Economics and Management from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He serves on the Board of Directors of Warner Music Group and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the UCLA Anderson School of Management as well as the Paley Center for Media. Mr. Kreiz is also a member of Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Executive Branch.

Stacey Wilson Hunt is an award-winning journalist, editor and prolific host who has held numerous high-level editorial positions, including Hollywood correspondent for Fortune and New York/Vulture’s Hollywood Editor. She also served as The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards & Special Projects Editor for nearly six years—managing, editing and producing industry power-lists; Emmys and Oscars coverage; Hollywood-icon photo portfolios; special anniversary issues; and numerous other high-profile print and video initiatives. 

Stacey was raised in Portland, Oregon by Illinois-native parents (Italian mom; farm-bred dad) and earned a B.A. in Professional Writing and Spanish from the University of Puget Sound. After starting her career at Microsoft, she earned an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University and, prior moving to L.A. in 2010, logged six years as People magazine’s Northwest-based correspondent. She also has written for L.A. Magazine, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Playboy, IndieWire, EW, TV Guide, Variety, and earned Society of Professional Journalists and L.A. Press Club awards for her work. 

A prolific moderator, Stacey has long been a busy event host for HBO, Max, Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon, a24, Paramount+, Hulu, Searchlight Pictures, Universal, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Paley Center and others.

For television, she produced and hosted Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter, the Emmy-nominated roundtable series, from 2012 to 2015. And in 2021, she was selected from 100 candidates to host Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale after-show, One Burning Question. She's also an experienced podcaster, having written, produced and hosted Nat Geo’s Emmys FYC series, The Making Of and Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast, the companion show to Shonda Rhimes’ hit Netflix series. 

A Contributing Editor for The Hollywood Reporter since 2022, Stacey writes awards-season analysis and profiles, while also serving as a producer, host and programmer of special projects and events, including the 25th anniversary cast reunion of Mike Judge’s film Office Space at SXSW in 2024; THR’s inaugural “Latin Power” event in Miami in 2023; and two consecutive years of THR’s signature “Raising Our Voices” DEI-themed luncheon.

Stacey lives in Los Angeles just down the hill from the Hollywood sign.