Toy maker Mattel Inc. said Friday that it will trim its executive ranks by about 5%, eliminating 10 senior management jobs, as it combines its girls and boys divisions into a single unit that will include the Barbie and Hot Wheels brands.
Matt Bousquette, who headed the international and boys divisions, will lead the combined Mattel Brands unit.
Girls division head Adrienne Fontanella has left the firm and could not be reached for comment.
The El Segundo-based toy maker said the move reflects the company's effort to streamline its business.
Since Chief Executive Robert Eckert took the helm three years ago, the company has worked to employ a "one Mattel" philosophy. The goal is to function as a single entity rather than a collection of brands, spokeswoman Alisa Marie Bongiovanni said.
Using this philosophy, Bousquette helped expand international sales over 10 consecutive quarters, she said.
"It was time to really apply that 'one Mattel' philosophy to the girls and boys division," she said.
Bongiovanni was unsure whether the combination would result in more jobs being cut.
"It's too early to predict fallout of lower-level jobs," she said. "But if there were losses of lower-level jobs, it wouldn't be significant."
