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Neil Friedman is president of the Mattel Brands Division at Mattel, Inc. which includes the Barbie®, Hot Wheels® and Fisher-Price® toy products, as well as licensed entertainment properties, such as toys for Batman, Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street®.
Friedman joined Mattel in March 1997, following the merger between Tyco Toys, Inc. and Mattel, and served as president of Fisher-Price Brands until the division merged with Mattel Brands to form one organization in October 2005. Among his accomplishments, Friedman is credited with the huge successes of Tickle Me Elmo and Sing ’N Snore Ernie, the two big holiday hits of the season in 1996 and 1997, respectively. In February 2004, Mr. Friedman was inducted into the prestigious Toy Industry Hall of Fame by the Toy Industry Association (TIA).
Friedman has a solid background in the children’s entertainment and products industries. Before joining Tyco Preschool, Friedman was president of MCA/Universal merchandising from 1993 to 1995, and he served as senior vice president of Sales, Marketing and Operations for Just Toys from 1992 to 1993. Prior to that, he spent two years as general manager of the baby care division of Gerber Products. At Hasbro, Inc., Friedman was president of Aviva/Hasbro, the toymaker’s import division, from 1982 to 1990. He launched his career in 1972 with Lionel Leisure, the former operator of Kiddie City retail stores. While there, Friedman held various store management, buying and merchandising positions, including executive vice president and chief operating officer.
A finance major, Friedman attended Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Friedman serves as chairman of the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) Board of Trustees, the charitable arm of the TIA, where he also serves as an advisory member to the organization’s board of directors. Additionally, Friedman serves on the board of the Northside Center for Child Development in New York City.
Mattel, Inc. is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys with approximately $5 billion in annual sales. The company’s rich portfolio of brands are known to generations of children around the world, and include Barbie®, Fisher-Price®, Hot Wheels® and American Girl®. With headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel has offices and facilities in 42 countries and sells its products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. | 