Executive talent mapping for Mattel's critical leadership roles

Mattel Australia engaged Six Degrees Executive on three occasions to conduct confidential talent mapping and assessment for key ELT roles: Managing Director, Sales Director, and Marketing Director. 

While internal candidates were in consideration for each role, Mattel sought to ensure full market coverage and a robust, objective evaluation process. 

THE CHALLENGE: 

The business needed to: 

• Benchmark internal talent against external markets. 

• Explore adjacent industry profiles beyond traditional “toys” experience. 

• Maintain confidentiality due to sensitivities around leadership succession. 

Each process required a partner who could assess capability, potential, and cultural fit - while protecting internal and external relationships. 

OUR APPROACH: 

We delivered a tailored executive search and talent mapping process for each role: 

• Conducted detailed mapping of aligned external talent pools across comparable industries. 

• Evaluated both external and internal candidates against leadership capability, cultural alignment, and commercial outcomes. 

• Delivered immersive insights to the MD and HRD, including comprehensive competency reports and advisory on next steps.
  
  
• Protected confidentiality throughout, with NDAs in place for selected candidates prior to engagement with Mattel’s executive team. 

RESULTS: 

Our work helped Mattel: 

• Validate the capability of internal leaders while exploring broader industry talent. 

• Make informed succession decisions across three pivotal ELT roles. 

• Enhance their approach to leadership benchmarking and long-term talent planning. 
  

Speak to the team below to discuss how we can help.