Mattel Names Disney’s Josh Silverman as Chief Franchise Officer, Global Head of Consumer Products
variety.comMatt Donnelly Senior Film WriterJosh Silverman has been named chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products at iconic toymaker Mattel.Silverman will oversee global consumer products licensing, franchise management, retail development, publishing and live experiences.
Reporting to Mattel President and COO Richard Dickson, he joins from The Walt Disney Company, where he spent more than a decade in consumer products.“Josh is an exceptional and talented leader and widely regarded as one of the most accomplished executives in consumer products.
His experience at Disney overseeing the world’s largest entertainment-related consumer products business will be invaluable as we start the next chapter of our growth strategy at Mattel,” said Dickson. “There is incredible potential to be unlocked in our treasure trove of IP under his leadership and across our portfolio of iconic brands.” At 77 years old, Mattel has only just begun meaningfully mining its stables of games and characters for content, taking on the role of producers. “Barbie,” “Masters of the Universe,” “Hot Wheels,” the Magic 8 Ball and pint-sized adventurer Polly Pocket are all forthcoming feature films based on the company’s toys.
With content development now coming from inside the house under movie executive Robbie Brenner, a role like Silverman’s will be crucial in leveraging Mattel’s IP to move product.At Disney, Silverman was executive vice president of global third-party commercialization.
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