Jonathan Anschell to Succeed Robert Normile as Mattel EVP, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary

Source: Mattel/The Toy Book

Mattel Inc. continues to make executive moves with the appointment of Jonathan Anschell as its new executive vice president, chief legal officer, and secretary.

Anschell, who joins the company from ViacomCBS, will replace longtime Mattel exec Robert Normile beginning Jan. 1 and will report directly to Mattel Chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz.

“Jonathan is a highly accomplished legal executive, with a strong commercial background and deep expertise in managing global, consumer-facing brands,” says Kreiz. “His leadership skills and strong transactional experience at the highest levels of the media and entertainment industry will further strengthen our capabilities as we transform Mattel into an IP-driven, high-performing toy company. I look forward to Jonathan joining the executive leadership team as we build on the momentum already well underway at Mattel and create value for our shareholders.”

Normile will continue in his current role through Dec. 31 and will remain as an executive advisor at Mattel to ensure a smooth transition. He is expected to complete the transition in April.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.