Thread regarding Mattel Inc. layoffs

RD, thanks for the below ex-pose. Actually, thanks for confirming your self obsessed vanity. Statistically such compulsive behaviors make for extremely poor leaders. Guess we are not surprised.

The guy has the gift of gab and looks the c suite part, tall, chiseled features, fabulous hair. That might not be considered talent, but much like the mathematician born with a brilliant mind, or an artist with innate skills, RD was born for this role.

More like the Great American Con-Artist. He has been blaming everyone but himself for the horror show at Mattel. He is an example of what you don't want in a company leadership role-conniver, huge ego, bad one on one communicator, dishonest and no strategic talent. His hires have been failures. Why have this guy around?

"young kid from a working class family in rural Maryland has big dreams of being a fashion designer, works hard in school, gets a college education and after graduation lands his dream job working for Bloomingdales."

I guarantee there are others at Mattel from lesser households, who worked harder in school, but somehow didn't get the opportunity. There is some luck involved, and possibly things that have nothing to do with talent or ability to do the job. Let's leave that to your imagination.

But in the end he proved at Bloomies, and since, that he failed at his big dream. He has no talent as a fashion designer. I doubt any designer at Mattel can tell you what his actual talent is.

Thanks RD for the last post! It does make me sad to see the need for you to defend yourself. I’m sorry that you really screwed things up over the past 3 years. We had such high expectation for you...it’s just sad. When you do eventually move on, don’t plan on getting a job elsewhere based on your most recent accomplishments. You will have all your millions though, but as for your ego...well not a lot to brag about.

To whoever wrote; “He wasted tons of money on the Barbie Shanghai debacle.”

Well you don’t know how things will turn out if you don’t try them, now do you? Whoever wrote that has probably never visited Asia. Well, I have. Some of the whacked out stores in Japan come to mind, and what their young people gravitate towards over there that would no doubt never fly over here. You cannot fault people for trying to be innovative. Of course hindsight is 20/20, and your eyes must be razor sharp in that regard.

There is no defense of RD and his performance as an officer of Mattel. He has proven to be ineffective and not disciplined as a leader . He wasted tons of money on the Barbie Shanghai debacle. Mattel needs substance, effectiveness and discipline in it’s leadership, hype and fluffy Public relations netted 1 billion dollar lose in 2017. Mattel has been a debacle since his return in 2014. Give us a break on any defense of this Pretender!

I doubt RD is pulling in that kind of change, maybe half that if he's lucky, but even if he was making 10 mil, good for him. To me this guy is the perfect example of the American dream, young kid from a working class family in rural Maryland has big dreams of being a fashion designer, works hard in school, gets a college education and after graduation lands his dream job working for Bloomingdales. And well the rest is history, but you can't fault the guy for being successful, the guy is straight up Nixonian opening up the Communist China market by building the first ever Barbie store in Shanghai and now the PRC is our fastest growing market!

So stupid that people complain about the way big corporations work. This system is broke and complaining about it doesn't do a damn thing. Yup it s---s that the leaders of Mattel get a huge salary and stock options and whatever. That is the deal they signed up for. Just like the one most employees signed up for when they started working at Mattel. Is it fair? Probably not but that's the deal. If you really want to make a change and do something for yourself, strike out on your own. Higher risk might mean higher reward. Or just keep working for the man and s--- it up

Yes.

RD does get a salary and he is happy with it, That's the problem. 10mil ain't bad for cutting the market value of the company in half and causing a lot of layoffs...plus probably 20 mil in severance or change of control when it happens.

A while back, I heard some genius mention that if you mix up the letters in WONDER, you get DOWNER. That's the most creative thing I've seen coming out of Mattel in a long time.

“You get a salary. That's your deal. Be happy with it or leave”.

This should replace WONDER.

RD is another layer of unnecessary poor performing management. There is your $10m saved to keep the company from death.

“You get a salary. That's your deal. Be happy with it or leave”. Thanks for your input RD!

The point made by the OP was that RD will be getting a bonus and RSU’s regardless of how poorly the company has performed. That is such a contradiction to what some of you have posted below!

Chances are that money is going to end up in the pockets of our overcompensated leaders instead of being used to keep the company afloat.

IF Mattel is bleeding money, why would they give that money back to the workers as a bonus? It’s needed to keep the ship afloat. Bonuses are not guaranteed and are based on performance of company. You don’t deserve one just because you work hard.

You get a salary. That's your deal. Be happy with it or leave

Hear! Hear!