Mattel veteran Sanjay Luthra is stepping into a new role.
The company behind Hot Wheels and Barbie promoted Luthra to executive vice president and managing director in the EMEA region. He previously served as senior vice president and managing director. In those roles, he focused on consumer-centric marketing and digital strategy in the region.
“Sanjay is an exceptional, entrepreneurial leader who has completely transformed and modernized our operations in the EMEA region,” says Steve Totzke, president and chief commercial officer at Mattel. “During Sanjay’s tenure, the EMEA business has become our fastest-growing international region, expanding market growth, strengthening relationships with Mattel’s key retail partners, and creating demand in an increasingly complex environment. I look forward to Sanjay’s steadfast leadership as we continue in growth mode, operating as an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”
Luthra began working for Mattel in 2003 in India before heading to Eastern Europe, Canada, and eventually landing in the UK for his current role. Having spent two decades in the toy industry, he has adapted to the volatile retail market and the challenges of Brexit, COVID-19, and the war in the Ukraine. He was also elected as Chairman of the Toy Industries of Europe Board in 2019.
Outside of the U.S., the EMEA region exhibited the most rapid growth in 2021. In Mattel’s latest Q1 earnings report, EMEA had a 29% increase driven by overall market growth.
