American Girl has a new CEO! Her name is Jamie Cygielman, and she is a veteran marketing executive, with her last job being the Chief Marketing Officer of Iconix Brands. 

The president of Mattel, Richard Dickson, said that “Jamie has deep customer insight, a strong track record of driving effective business turnarounds, and deep expertise in experiential marketing, all of which make her uniquely suited to recapture the momentum and maximize the full potential of American Girl as we continue to transform Mattel into an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.” 

It doesn’t sound like Richard is wrong! Jamie was General Manager at Madame Alexander, where she successfully led a brand turnaround, as well as boosting Thomas and Friends to the #1 preschool brand. 

Jamie said this about American Girl: “American Girl is a beloved brand whose legacy of inspiring girls to develop a strong sense of character through creative play and imagination is more relevant than ever,” said Ms. Cygielman. ”I look forward to partnering with Richard and the entire team to unlock the full potential of this storied brand.”

As always, I’m wishing for the best! It sounds like Jamie is just the right person to turn American Girl around, so I’m hoping it happens!