Richard L. Dickson

 is an American businessman who is best known for his work at Mattel, whom he joined in 2000, and is currently its president and chief operating officer. Richard Dickson leads numerous roles within the company, including brand and innovation strategy, design and development, marketing, global operations and franchise management, which includes licensing, content creation and distribution, live events and digital gaming, for Mattel’s portfolio of global brands.

Education
Richard received a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland and completed the executives programs at UCLA's Anderson School of Management executive program. He is a member of the Board of Directors at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and serves on the Board of Advisors for The Robert H. Smith School of Business at The University of Maryland.

Pre-Mattel Carrer
Richard spent more than a decade in various roles at Bloomingdales before co-founding Gloss.com, the first online retailer dedicated to high-end cosmetics. Gloss.com was acquired by The Estee Lauder Group of Companies in 2000 and Richard was appointed Vice President of Brand Management and Merchandising for Estee Lauder’s new online business.

Mattel
Richard joined Mattel in 2005, 3 years after the death of Ruth Handler, where he began as Senior Vice President for its marketing division. from August that year to September 2008, after which he changed role to Senior Vice President General Manager for the company's flagship brand, Barbie, prior to its handover to Lisa McKnight. In this role, he drove a global revitalization of the iconic brand, including a new identity, product innovation, designer collaborations, content, global events and distinctive retailing. His role rose up to Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Media and Entertainment for Mattel, where was responsible for building franchise approaches for Mattel's itellectual properties, creating multi-year deals with leading entertainment companies, including Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Lionsgate and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, and evolving Hot Wheels® and Fisher-Price® beyond toys into lifestyle brands. Respected as a global leader in brand development, Richard drives Mattel's brands to the forefront of culture, making them more relevant and valuable to kids and families.

Non-Mattel Career
Richard briefly left Mattel in February 2010, to join The Jones Group, Inc., a leading portfolio of fashion brands, as President and CEO of its branded businesses. He led global wholesale, retail and ecommerce for the Jones portfolio, reinvigorating dated fashion labels into powerful fashion brands and acquiring and developing new brands which he then sold to private equity firms.