Mattel Names Steve Totzke President and COO
Totzke takes the newly created role on Nov. 11 as Roberto Stanichi departs after 20 years with the company.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in People
Mattel has named Steve Totzke President and Chief Operating Officer, effective Nov. 11. The newly created position puts the company's global brand portfolio, sales and commercial operations, and consumer products and experiences under his leadership.
Why it matters
The appointment places Totzke, who previously served as President and Chief Commercial Officer, over a broad set of operational functions. It also follows the departure of Roberto Stanichi, who is leaving to pursue another opportunity, as CEO Roger Lynch continues assembling his leadership team.
Stanichi's exit ends a 20-year run with Mattel, while Totzke brings roughly three decades of industry experience to the new role. The announcement does not say how the marketing and brand functions Stanichi led will be reassigned.
The players
Mattel
Mattel is a global toy company known for brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price, and it operates a broad international portfolio of consumer products.
Steve Totzke
Steve Totzke is a toy-industry executive with roughly three decades of experience who previously led Mattel's commercial operations and was inducted into the Canadian Toy Association Hall of Fame in 2025.
Roberto Stanichi
Roberto Stanichi is a longtime Mattel executive who served as President, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer and spent 20 years with the company before departing.
Roger Lynch
Roger Lynch is Mattel's chief executive officer, overseeing the company's ongoing leadership restructuring.
The details
Totzke was moved from his role as President and Executive Advisor, which he has held since May, into the President and Chief Operating Officer position. Stanichi, President and Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, will leave the company on Nov. 10, one day before Totzke's appointment takes effect.
Timeline
May: Totzke began serving as President and Executive Advisor.
2025: Totzke was inducted into the Canadian Toy Association Hall of Fame.
Nov. 10: Stanichi leaves Mattel.
Nov. 11: Totzke's appointment as President and COO takes effect.
Market Landscape
The leadership changes extend CEO Roger Lynch's effort to rebuild Mattel's senior team, with the new operations role consolidating brand, sales, and consumer-products oversight under one executive. The moves reflect how the company is reorganizing its commercial structure as it reshapes its top ranks.
For shoppers, the leadership change itself does not alter current product availability or pricing, and the source does not describe any immediate changes to Mattel's products. The practical effect will show up over time in how Mattel's brand portfolio and consumer offerings are managed under Totzke's operational oversight.
The takeaway
Leadership reshuffles at large consumer brands often signal changes in how a company prioritizes its operations and marketing. Watching who takes over Stanichi's brand responsibilities will show how Mattel intends to direct its marketing going forward.
Further reading
For more on executive moves across the industry, see the People section.
