Mattel Recruits Former Sony, Fox Executive to Lead Mattel Television Studios After ‘Barbie’ Success

Mattel Inc. is still fresh from the massive success of the “Barbie” movie, and to continue its momentum, it announced its move to hire an executive who will exclusively run its television studio unit. The toy maker revealed it appointed an executive who previously worked for Sony and Fox studios.

Mattel recruited Michelle Mendelovitz to be the head of its Mattel Television Studios. The firm hopes that she will help the company in achieving its goal of expanding the studio’s content library after the success of the “Barbie” movie.

Work Background of Michelle Mendelovitz

The company confirmed it hired Mendelovitz on Thursday, Nov. 16 and as she moves to Mattel, she is expected to employ her vast work experience from other major firms in the business. As per CNBC, aside from Sony Pictures Television and Fox Studios, the new head of Mattel TV Studios also worked at Disney 20th Television Studios, CBS Television Network, and Apple TV+.

Mendelovitz mostly held senior roles in these firms so her expertise in the industry is certainly at the top level. This also makes her a very valuable addition to the company.

New Role at Mattel Television Studios

As she takes over the Mattel Television Studios unit of Mattel Inc., Mendelovitz will be responsible for an array of things related to broadcasting. From development to production, and distribution of the brand’s content lineup including global streaming, she will be supervising them all. Lastly, in her new role, she will be directly reporting to the studios’ CFO, Deadline reported.

“Michelle is a powerful creative leader with a wealth of experience working with top studios and creators to make innovative, quality content across genres and platforms,” Mattel’s chairman and chief executive officer, Ynon Kreiz, said in a press release. “We are excited for her to join at a time of such momentum for the company, and for the important role she will play in developing stories that resonate in culture and growing Mattel’s global fan base.”

Josh Silverman, Mattel’s chief franchise officer, went on to say, “The opportunity to connect worldwide audiences with Mattel’s iconic brands, franchises, and characters through high-quality storytelling is greater than ever before. I look forward to the impact Michelle and Mattel Television Studios will have on expanding the content slate to the delight of our fans around the globe.”

Photo: Mattel Press Release