Cannes Lions announces Mattel Chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz as 2024 Entertainment Person of the Year
By Zion Rufus
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mattel, as Entertainment Person of the Year 2024. This award recognizes the significant impact of entertainment on marketing and communications, celebrating individuals who inspire the creation of compelling, meaningful, and entertaining content.
Kreiz who will be delivering a keynote seminar at the Festival on Friday, June 21, will also receive his award at the Cannes Lions Awards Show that evening.
Expressing his gratitude for the recognition, he said “At its core, Mattel is a creative company fueled by innovation and guided by our purpose. We are driven by the knowledge that the people who buy our products are more than consumers, they are fans with an emotional connection to our brands. It is an incredible honour to be recognised by the prestigious Cannes Lions, and to share this with the global team at Mattel whose passion fosters our creativity, every day.”
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, commented on the award, stating, “We are delighted to be honouring Ynon and recognising Mattel for their continued commitment to creativity in entertainment. The strong leadership of Mattel has led to it becoming an innovative global toy and family entertainment company. Through Barbie particularly, Ynon has opened the aperture of the brand, broadening its cultural resonance and commercial success.”
Ynon Kreiz has been at the helm of Mattel, a global leader in toy and family entertainment, since April 2018, when he joined as CEO. He was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors in May 2018. Under Kreiz’s leadership, Mattel has undergone a transformative journey, establishing itself as an intellectual property (IP)-driven, high-performing company. This transformation strategy has resulted in remarkable improvements across multiple financial metrics, culminating in Mattel achieving an investment grade rating and its strongest balance sheet in years by the end of 2023.
In 2023, Mattel maintained its position as the No.1 toy company in the United States for the 30th consecutive year, marking its largest annual market share gain on record, according to Circana. Kreiz’s leadership also saw Mattel set ambitious Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, as outlined in its Citizenship Report, and earn accolades for workplace culture and employee wellbeing from reputable organizations including Forbes, Time, Fast Company, and the Great Place to Work Institute.
One of the most notable achievements under Kreiz’s tenure is the success of Mattel Films. The company has 15 motion pictures in active development with major studio partners, with “Barbie” being a standout success. The Barbie movie became a cultural phenomenon in 2023, achieving the highest global box-office earnings of the year and ranking as the 14th-highest grossing film of all time. The movie garnered eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Mattel’s entertainment portfolio continues to expand across television, consumer products, digital games, live events, publishing, and music, reinforcing the company’s robust presence in the entertainment industry.
Before joining Mattel, Kreiz held significant roles in the media and entertainment sector. He was Chairman and CEO of Maker Studios, a leader in short-form video content, which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2014. Kreiz also led Endemol Group, the world’s largest independent television production company, and co-founded Fox Kids Europe NV, a rapidly growing pay TV channel network.
Kreiz holds a BA in Economics and Management from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He serves on the Board of Directors of Warner Music Group and is actively involved in several other prestigious organizations.
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