Matchbox marketer becomes Mattel’s managing director

Mattel has appointed Eugene Murtha as its managing director following the unexplained departure of Richard Sanderson.

Murtha was senior vice-president for marketing Mattel’s MatchBox brand and Tyco toys in the US between 1993 and 1998. He will have overall responsibility for marketing.

More recently, he was president of the US subsidiary of the Radica Corporation, a Hong Kong company which develops and manufactures hand-held electronic games.

Sanderson joined Mattel in September 1998 from Black & Decker, where he was general manager for the UK. He took responsibility for all UK marketing activity at Mattel after group marketing director Melanie Stubbing left the company.

It is not known whether Sanderson, who resigned last month, has a job to go to.

Ben van Doesburgh, Mattel’s executive vice-president Europe, Middle East and Africa, says in a statement: “Murtha brings a wealth of toy experience to the UK subsidiary, having held senior positions previously within Mattel.”

Mattel is the world’s biggest toy company with a portfolio of well-known brands including Barbie, Fisher-Price, HotWheels and Diva Starz.

Last month, the company announced it has signed a deal with games publishers THQ and Vivendi Universal Publishing to develop video games and interactive software based on its range of toy brands.

The toy giant, which along with rivals Hasbro and Lego has struggled against a general downturn in the toy market, has also won the licence to develop toys and games based on the Harry Potter books and forthcoming film.