Jill E. Barad

Jill Barad (; née Elikann; born May 23, 1951) is an American businesswoman from New York City, who was CEO of Mattel from 1997 to 2000. Career Jill Barad graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Psychology from Queens College in New York. In college, she worked in cosmetics sales and then became brand manager for the full line of Coty products. After moving to Los Angeles, she was an account executive for the Max Factor brand at Wells, Rich, Greene/West advertising agency. She started working at Mattel as a product manager in 1981 and was named CEO and Charmain of the Board in 1997. Barad was one of four women to lead a Fortune 500 company at the time. She helped transformed Mattel from a toy company into a premier global family products company. Under her leadership annual sales rose from $200 million to $2 billion. In 1998, Mattel acquired Pleasant Company, the maker of the American Girl line of dolls, for $700 million. On behalf of Mattel, Barad donated $25 million to UCLA to rebuild its Children's Hospital in 1998. The facility is now named the Mattel Children's Hospital.